Hi Rob If you've made reasonable efforts to determine that the VHS in question is out of print and a new copy is not available in any format at a fair-market price, AND if you can justify transfer on the basis of wear/damage to the VHS, Section 108 of the copyright law allows transfer from one format to another. The law has certain stipulations re the nature of the institution and the use of the copy. See Michael Brewer's excellent guide at: http://www.librarycopyright.net/108spinner/
Basically you can make a copy and make that copy available for use within the library. Gary Handman > Hello everyone. At St Louis Public we've recently acquired surplus money > to use for technology in the film department. We have been discussing > buying a professional stand-alone VHS->DVD converter. We own many older > titles that have either local significance or are out of print and > unavailable for reorder in DVD. It's my understanding that unauthorized > transfers are a copyright violation and cannot be circulated. However, if > we retain the original VHS, could we make a DVD transfer to offer as a > reference copy for patrons to use in-house? We know this would only serve > a small group, but could help those needing access to films for research. > I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts. Thanks. > > > Rob Tygett > Audio-Visual Supervisor > St. Louis Public Library > 1415 Olive St. > St. Louis, MO 63103 > T: 314-206-6704 > www.slpl.org <http://www.slpl.org/> > > > St. Louis Public Library <http://www.slpl.org/images/slpl_email_logo.gif> > > > VIDEONEWS is an electronic clearinghouse for information about new > services, products, resources, and programs of interest to video > librarians and archivists, educators, and others involved in the > selection, acquisition, programming, and preservation of video materials > in non-profit settings. The list is open to all interest individuals and > list submissions are unmediated. However the list owner reserves the right > to revoke subscriptions to the list in cases where the intent of the list > is routinely violated or where general listserv etiquette and protocol are > infringed. > Gary Handman Director Media Resources Center Moffitt Library UC Berkeley 510-643-8566 [email protected] http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC "I have always preferred the reflection of life to life itself." --Francois Truffaut 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.
