IFC Puts Fair Use Guidelines to Work, Wins Big

Cable programmer IFC has boldly adopted an internal Fair Use guideline, after saving itself hundreds of thousands of dollars by invoking Fair Use of Hollywood film clips for the upcoming film Wanderlust. Lawyer Michael Donaldson, who conducted negotiations, was an advisor to the Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use [2], and used the Statement in his work. A New York Times article on May 28, No Free Samples for Documentaries: Seeking Film Clips With the Fair-Use Doctrine by Elaine Dutka [3], tells the story.