Talk about some wonderful controversy! :)
For those interested, I have been abusing major motion pictures for
teaching purposes for almost two years now. Ha HA
Do I thumb my nose at the FBI warning? Certainly not. I live in DC so my
phone and email are probably routinely monitored for evidence of illicit
video clip dispensation. You can't be too careful nowadays.
How do I do it? Well, I could hold class in my "private family
home", but that's not very practical. Neither is purchasing videos
only to be viewed only once or twice. However, there is a way to
foil overzealous copyright watchdogs. Follow me to the loophole!
OK, OK, all kidding aside. I have been well aware of the fuzziness of
copyright interpretations as they apply to academia and educational
purposes in a more general sense. We have the right to photocopy
previously published material (with certain quantity and recognition
restrictions) for free, but the world of film media in all its forms is
quite different, so we have be careful with our assumptions. After
consultation with an attorney, I was able to devise an alternative
strategy to fully utilize what I consider a tremendous source for teaching
material that energizes students...Major Motion Pictures. By assigning
individual projects, student must ante up $3.50 or so for a rental to be
viewed at their leisure in their own PRIVATE HOME. I have found films to
be an especially fruitful resource where group processes, leadership,
cultural nuances and other relevant topics can be seen "in action" if you
will. Granted, watching subgroups form in 12 Angry Men doesn't exactly
mirror what would be seen in the boardroom, but with a videotape, a
student can observe and reobserve, noting details and subtle shifts that
would pass unnoticed in a real-world setting.
I apologize for the long-windedness and for any offense my initial remarks
may have produced, but I do prize motion pictures as a learning aid and
hope that we can surface some useful guidelines from experts who know far
more than myself. Perhaps with more information we can reap the benefits
of this medium while remaining within the legal guidelines for usage.
Thanks for reading on,
Marty Kaufman
The George Washington University
Doctoral Student
On Wed, 1 Oct 1997, Richard Pernell wrote:
> After responding to the question AND THEN reading some of the other
> responses, I hereby amend my in initial response with, "I have heard
> of ......." and "In my classes we talk about the scene where....".
> etc.
>
>
> ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
> Subject: Re: Hollywood Motion Pictures
> Author: <
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> at SMTPgate
> Date: 10/1/97 7:41 AM
>
>
> > Why is it a breach of copyright? Can I not rent the film and show it to my
> > class?
> >
> No, you cannot rent the film from Blockbuster Video or such and show it
> in any other place than a private family home. There is a notice on the
> front of videos telling you this. It's the screen that most people fast
> forward past that begins "FBI warning". You may not rent, copy,
> distribute, broadcast or show the film to any public gathering other
> than in a private family home.
>
> One of the other lists I subscribe to had a a posting from a member who
> was fined by one of the major studios $10,000 for showing 10 minutes of
> film to 20 students in a college level continuing education course.
>
> I wish it were a different world where we could share small bits of film
> for good purpose, but this is considered someone else's property.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Karen Boringer
> Communication Resources
>
commres@rmi.net
>