Anyone out there on Collib-l? If so, you might want to tune into a
conversation going on over there re: converting VHS to DVD without
adherence to copyright. Here's the last bit I received from someone who
appears to be advocating flouting copyright law just because it is
inconvenient / expensive -- just curious if anyone has any case law
examples I could toss back off the top of their heads:
"Many educational tapes cost $100 -$300 - some sets are in the thousands
- and buying a reformatted copy of the same title is wasteful and
absurd. I don't know if any library has actually done such transfers,
or would admit it if they did, but I wonder: has anyone has ever heard
of a legal challenge to a library by a copyright holder for its changing
a VHS to a DVD for use in classroom instruction? (Actually,this is done
occasionally by instructors themselves, who are much more cavalier about
Big Brother copyright.) I'd be satisfied to hear of a single case. The
real problem in making transfer copies is getting good quality, same as
with any other digitized media."
Um... wow.
TIA,
*************************
Meghann Matwichuk, M.S.
Associate Librarian
Instructional Media Collection Department
Morris Library, University of Delaware
181 S. College Ave.
Newark, DE 19717
(302) 831-1475
http://www.lib.udel.edu/ud/instructionalmedia/
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues
relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control,
preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and
related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective
working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication
between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and
distributors.
