Copyright and Fair Use

As the Canadian government addresses copyright reform, the U.S. Fair Use movement is providing an important example. The latest evidence: Face to Face Media, a Canadian media advocacy organization, is citing the Fair Use codes facilitated by the Center for Social Media and the Washington College of Law in the reform process. Read more...

The South by Southwest film festival now crowdsources its panels, and two of CSM director Pat Aufderheide's panel proposals have been approved for public voting. The SXSW team needs to see that panel proposals have public support. Your vote will make a difference.Pat's panels will raise issues that not only are important for business but also raise basic questions about the future of documentary and of creative practice.

 Read more...

I just got back from the annual University Film and Video Association (UFVA) conference in New Orleans. Although the association and the conference are generally for university professors who are teaching film and video production classes, the Center for Social Media has long been active with the UFVA, as we develop resources that can help filmmakers and teachers of filmmaking. Read more...

Tipped off by copyright lawyer Michael Madison, I took a look at this brilliant little video posted on YouTube. It's a video time travel through the origins of the Michael Jackson moonwalk, reminding us of the collaborative nature of creativity and the way in which we all--yes, even Michael Jackson--stand on the shoulders of giants. Each clip has its own copyright story, but all are great examples of transformative purpose. Read more...

The SILVERDOCS conference now has a thriving strand of panels directed at teachers who use audio-visual material in the classroom and who work with kids who make video. One of their biggest headaches is understanding their rights under copyright. Can students upload their videos to YouTube? Are they permitted to clip out material from commercial (and encrypted) DVDs? Can teachers post clips onto their electronic teaching platforms? Read more...