Media & Entertainment Law

The Law and Video Podcast for September 16, 2008

By Gordon Firemark

Law and Video is the first live, call-in podcast to clear the air on legal issues for filmmakers and videographers who are looking for answers to questions related to starting a production business, copyright issues, contracts, intellectual property and distribution.

We record live on Tuesdays at 5pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern.

Our Latest episode is now available.  Visit us at lawandvideo.com  or subscribe using iTunes.

This week’s topics:

• Borat Cases dismissed.  Court rules releases were valid.

• A short discussion of  “Libel Tourism”, a growing trend of plaintiffs to bring libel cases against U.S. Authors in Britain and other countries where the First Amendment won’t apply… then try to enforce the judgments in the U.S.

• Do I need a license to use a computer-screen-capture in a software training video?

• Is there a difference between the permissions needed for use of video clips vs. stills?

• What kinds of permissions are needed when using clips of old TV shows?

• Explanation of Duration of Copyright…
  • for works created before the 1976 Copyright Act?
  • for works created after 1978?
  • for corporate-authored works?
  • when does the life+70 timeline begin to run when multiple authors of a joint work die at different times?
• What permissions and releases are needed when shooting prison inmates for a promotional video?

• What legal issues are implicated when writing a script based on real events and people?

Full post as published by Entertainment Law Update on September 17, 2008 (boomark / email).