Frameworkers, this was on the UFVA list yesterday. It is closely related to the Public Domain Project that Nicholas Kovats posted on Frameworks today. It seems pretty important and worthy of our support. Gene Youngblood
> Begin forwarded message: > > Date: January 22, 2015 at 10:32:00 AM MST > Reply-To: Jack Lerner <jackler...@gmail.com> > From: Jack Lerner <jackler...@gmail.com> > Subject: Help defend our fair use rights! Calling all UFVA members! > To: ufvalis...@listserv.american.edu > > Dear all, > > My name is Jack Lerner, and I teach at the UC Irvine School of Law where I > supervise the Intellectual Property, Arts, and Technology (UCI-IPAT) Clinic. > Many of you know me from my work with the IDA and on fair use, although I'm > mostly a lurker on this list. > > I'm writing you today because we will very soon be filing two major comments > with the United States Copyright Office in Washington, seeking exemptions to > the Digital Millennium Copyright Act--on behalf of filmmakers and e-book > authors who want to embed film and audio materials for fair use. In my view, > both of these requests are of vital importance to UFVA members--and we need > your help. All we ask is that you take two minutes to fill out a > three-question survey. > > As many of you know, the DMCA makes it a crime to decrypt or "rip" DVDs, > Blu-ray discs, and any encrypted media that contains copyrighted > material--even if the author or filmmaker has every right to make fair use of > the work! In other words, even though fair use allows us to use copyrighted > footage, the DMCA restricts our access to such material. The result is an > end-run around fair use, which deeply chills academic freedom and freedom of > speech. > > Fortunately, the law allows for a rulemaking process every three years in > which the Copyright Office can recommend exemptions that will allow people to > access the works they need for their particular use. We have filed two > requests for exemptions. > > First, we have asked for a renewal and modification of the current exemption > for filmmakers, on behalf of the IDA and Kartemquin Films. We need an > exemption that allows us to rip from DVD, Blu-ray, online media and > DVRs/Cable TV so that for we can make fair use in our films. If you'd like > to help, simply fill out > <http://www.documentary.org/advocacy/dmca-exemption-survey>this 2-minute, > 3-question survey for doc filmmakers > <http://www.documentary.org/advocacy/dmca-exemption-survey>. And if you want > to learn more, read our initial petition here > <http://copyright.gov/1201/2014/petitions/International_Documentary_Association_et_al_1201_Initial_Submission_2014.pdf> > and learn more on IDA's website here > <http://www.documentary.org/advocacy/dmca-exemption>. > > Second, as educators, many of you have written an e-book, or would like to. > We have asked for a renewal and modification of the current exemption for > e-book authors, on behalf of Authors Alliance and others. Like filmmakers, > many e-book authors want to use promising new tools to embed film clips, > sound, or multimedia into their e-books. It's an entirely new avenue for > fair use. But again, the DMCA makes it illegal to rip from DVDs, Blu-ray, or > other media without an exemption. If you'd like to help, simply fill out > <http://www.documentary.org/advocacy/dmca-exemption-survey>this 2-minute, > 3-question survey for e-book authors <http://www.authorsalliance.org/survey>. > We believe that this prohibition on films and multimedia e-books directly > harms academic freedom and free speech—which is why we have filed a petition > with the United States Copyright Office formally requesting an exemption. > You can read more about our efforts here > <http://www.authorsalliance.org/2014/12/13/authors-alliance-seeks-dmca-exemption-to-enable-production-of-multimedia-ebooks/>. > > We are asking for your help because the Copyright Office wants to see real > stories of how the DMCA is affecting people. We are very hopeful that some > of you might fill out the survey (it really only takes two minutes, I > promise!) and to pass the surveys along to your colleagues—including authors, > editors, technologists, organizations, and of course, filmmakers. > > Even if you are not currently an e-book author, you can fill out the e-book > survey <http://authorsalliance.org/survey> if you may be interested in making > an e-book and accessing certain media to do so. We are especially interested > in hearing about whether you anyone you know has a specific need for > higher-quality video excerpts, or material that is only available on Blu-ray > or other HD formats. > > We are facing some time constraints here, so we are looking for responses by > this time next week (Jan. 28), if at all possible. > > If you have questions, please feel free to respond to the list, to me > individually, or email us at dmcaf...@law.uci.edu > <mailto:dmcaf...@law.uci.edu> or dmcaebo...@law.uci.edu > <mailto:dmcaebo...@law.uci.edu>. > > We hope you will join our efforts to protect filmmaking and digital > authorship, and to promote academic freedom and free speech. > > Thank you in advance for your help! > > All my best, > Jack Lerner > > > > > Jack Lerner > Assistant Clinical Professor of Law > University of California, Irvine School of Law > 401 E. Peltason Drive > Irvine, CA 92697 > + 1-949-824-7684 <tel:%2B%201-949-824-7684> Direct > + 1-415-577-2455 <tel:%2B%201-415-577-2455> Cell > + 1-949-824-8926 <tel:%2B%201-949-824-8926> Fax > jler...@law.uci.edu <mailto:jler...@law.uci.edu> > @jacklerner > > > This e-mail, including attachments, contains information that is confidential > and may be protected by the attorney/client or other privileges. This e-mail, > including attachments, constitutes non-public information intended to be > conveyed only to the designated recipient(s). If you are not an intended > recipient, please delete this e-mail, including attachments, and notify me. > The unauthorized use, dissemination, distribution or reproduction of the > e-mail, including attachments, is prohibited and may be unlawful. > This list at AU can be subscribed to by sending the following message to > lists...@listserv.american.edu: subscribe UFVALIST-L Full Name ( Full Name > should be your first and last name.) 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