Anthony, As someone who works with a lot of indie documentary filmmakers I think this is great but there is nothing unethical about buying a film from Amazon for an academic library as long as it is for circulation, reserve and in class use. If a distributor decides to sell on Amazon and My Perestroika is up there for $20 they can not expect a library to pay more. The rights holder has chosen to go to a wider market and through third parties so they really can't expect to enforce any special pricing for libraries. If they handle all sales directly they can have multiple pricing by contract.
I think what really upsets librarians is wording that indicates it is somehow illegal for a library to buy a title off Amazon or another retail source. They are falsely claiming there is some kind of special rights needed for "educational use". I fully understand that there is a limited market for many films aimed at the academic community but I don't think rights holders can have their cake and eat it to by asking institutions to pay a high price because the film has a limited market and yet sell it to individuals at a fraction of that price through retail outlets like Amazon. Again your support of the indie documentary world is MUCH appreciated but I understand why many institutions can't follow it. On Fri, Feb 15, 2013 at 4:57 PM, Anthony Anderson <antho...@usc.edu> wrote: > Here at USC we purchase between 100 and 150 documentary films a year, > and it is > very much our firm policy that such films *always *be purchased at the > full institutional > price. A few years back one particular documentary film was inadvertently > purchased > through Amazon and we ended up receiving am email from the distributor, > very much > similar to the message that Mary received in regards to* My Perestroika.*As > soon as > I read the email, I immediately got in touch with the distributor and > apologized for > the error. We sent back the "offending" DVD to Amazon and ordered the > "bonafide" > DVD from the company handing the academic distribution of the film. Were > this to happen > again, I would do exactly the same. It is not for me to say that other > academic institutions > should do likewise, but personally I believe you have the ethical > responsibility to so > do so. > > Also, too: understand that USC owing to its size and its close proximity > to the entertainment > industry,is subject to a lot more scrutiny than a lot more other academic > institutions. Thus, > we have to be relentlessly squeaky clean in everything we do when it comes > to media. > > Cheers! > Anthony > > ******************************* > Anthony E. Anderson > Assistant Director, Doheny Memorial Library > University of Southern California > Los Angeles, CA 90089-0182(213) 740-1190 antho...@usc.edu > "Wind, regen, zon, of kou, > Albert Cuyp ik hou van jou." > ******************************** > > > > > > > > On 2/15/2013 11:03 AM, Mary Hanlin wrote: > > Hi All, > > I've been schooled, so I understand the fallacy in the emailer's > argument/request. My question, particularly those who don't have ready > access to institutional counsel, is.... how do you handle emails like these? > Do you even respond? > > Dear Ms. X, > > We recently noticed that you have a copy of My Perestroika in your library's > collection. We are thrilled! This critically acclaimed documentary enables > students to better understand Soviet and Post-Soviet life by following the > lives of 5 Russians who were part of the last generation to live under the > Iron Curtain. My Perestroika, which recently received a 2012 Peabody Award, > is useful in a wide-variety of disciplines, including History, Anthropology, > Political Science, and Sociology. At the bottom of this email, I have > included just a few examples of what professors have said about the film (for > more examples, please visit our website). > > According to our records, it seems that your library may have inadvertently > purchased the copy of My Perestroika distributed by New Video/Docurama. > Unfortunately, this version is for home use only. The only version of My > Perestroika that is legally licensed for educational use is distributed by > New Day Films. In order, for independent films such as My Perestroika to > exist for use in teaching, and so they can continue to be made in the future > by non-profit filmmakers such as Ms. Hessman, it is critical that > institutions purchase the appropriate version. > > We realize that the cost of the educationally licensed dvd may not fit within > your college's budget. The price was determined by the cost of making the > film which, unfortunately, was very high (over 800k) particularly since > Soviet archival and music rights were very expensive. We have discussed the > price issue with our distributor and we are willing to offer you a one-time > discount to purchase the educationally licensed dvd at the extremely reduced > price of $150. You can purchase the film for at this special price by > clicking here (http://www.newday.com/films/myperestroika.html). On the online > ordering form, just select the button for the K-12 schools ($150 option). As > you continue through the purchasing process, there will be a place for > Special Instructions/Comments. In that box, please write "approved purchase > at high school rate." We also ask that you also please remove the Home Video > DVD > (New Video / Docurama) version from your library catalogue immediately. > > Thank you in advance for your assistance, and please let me know if you have > any questions or concerns. > > > Mary Hanlin > Media Collection Development Librarian > and Adjunct English Instructor > Tidewater Community College, Portsmouth > 120 Campus Drive, > Portsmouth, Virginia 23701 > P: 757-822-2133 > F: 757-822-2149mhan...@tcc.edu > > > > > > > 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. > >
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.
