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I don't particularly have an interest in this myself - I'm just a =
librarian, our library doesn't have public screenings of any sort, so =
I'm not really on the side of the surreptitious screeners or the =
distributors. =20
=20
That said, I can't say I can completely agree with the "distributors are =
just helping out the filmmakers by collecting the money for them so they =
can pay their rent and make more fine films" perspective. Yes, the =
groups in question should have paid the PP fees, because that's the law. =
Distributors aren't exactly starving artists - they're businesses, and =
businesses exist to make money. What about the fees collected by =
distributors for films where the filmmakers are dead? Those don't go to =
the poor filmmaker described below, or his composers, cinematographers, =
or actors, do they? (Forgive me if I'm misspeaking here, I'm not =
well-versed on the fine points of the money chain of the film =
distribution industry.)
=20
Like I said, I'm not defending the poor little film society, nor =
accosting the rich greedy film distributor for collecting what's theirs =
to collect. I'm sort of just playing devil's advocate, pointing out =
that it's probably not often as clear cut as described or that =
distributors always have such goodhearted motivations when they seek to =
collect PPR fees. Those distributors on the list that differ, please =
accept my apologies, I don't mean to portray you as the bad guys at all. =
(Dennis, I don't know that I've seen your words on how profitable =
distributors are, that may be prior to my videolib subscription, so =
again, I'm not speaking as informedly as some others could. I actually =
tend to agree more with your perspective that the universities should be =
funding these screenings in the first place and avoid the whole =
problem.)
=20
Marc Tiar
Washoe County Library
-----Original Message-----
From: videolib-bounces@library.berkeley.edu =
[mailto:videolib-bounces@library.berkeley.edu]On Behalf Of =
MileFilms@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 7:32 AM
To: videolib@library.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: [Videolib] Illinois State University Copyright Controversy
In a message dated 2/8/06 4:57:35 PM, mbailey@carleton.edu writes:
To summarize briefly: A student film group at Illinois State=20
University has received from New Yorker Films a bill for $8000 for=20
past VHS and DVD screenings on campus for which public performance=20
rights were not purchased. The film group feels that the screenings=20
were part of the educational activities of the University; New Yorker=20
begs to differ.
I agree with Jessica and New Yorker with this. It's always posed as us =
(the poor little film society) versus the rich, greedy film distributor. =
We won't get into how profitable film distributors are -- I've expressed =
my viewpoints here before on that matter.
However, when you look at it as any institution with a multi-million =
dollar endowment (who should be spending more on the liberal and fine =
arts, but that's besides the point) against a filmmaker who depends on =
his royalties to pay his rent (and we have MANY more of those than we do =
filmmakers with houses on the beach), it takes on a different =
perspective. That also doesn't even get into the fact that many of them =
are still paying their composers, cinematographers and actors from these =
royalties as well.
I am sure that a filmmaker is totally glad for the "free" exposure as he =
struggles to raise money to make his next documentary.
I noticed that the ISU film society has removed all past schedules from =
the websites, so I suspect they feel New Yorker and the other =
distributors might be right. So I hope this raises the issues at other =
campuses with similar situations.
Dennis Doros
Milestone Film & Video
PO Box 128
Harrington Park, NJ 07640
Phone: (800) 603-1104 or (201) 767-3117
Fax: (201) 767-3035
Email: milefilms@aol.com
Website: http://www.milestonefilms.com
"Welcome to New Jersey.
Big Hair, Big Heart, Big Fun!"
- Amy Heller
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