Copyright Material
When it comes to filming, duplicating, and creating video, it is important to understand what you can and cannot do. Any material that has been copyrighted and does not fall under “Fair Use” cannot be used in a video project without permission from the work’s copyright holder.
There are several online resources that offer royalty-free music and images that anyone can use free of charge as long as the work and author of the work are credited. When using these resources make sure to read the “Terms of Use” to understand how this material can be used and how the owner of the material would like to be credited.
When it comes to recording and duplicating school performances, it is important to understand what can and cannot be done legally. In most cases, licenses and permissions need to be obtained, and sometimes fees paid, in order to record and/or distribute any copyrighted works, such as music.
Fair Use
Fair use is a set of guidelines outlining instances in which copyright material can be used without permission. There are four main principles outlined in the “Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement of Best Practices In Fair Use.”
- Employing copyrighted material as the object of social, political, or cultural critique.
- Quoting copyrighted works of popular culture to illustrate an argument or point.
- Capturing copyrighted media content in the process of filming something else.
- Using copyrighted material in a historical sequence.
These principles are instances in which copyrighted material can be used and they may help you to determine if your use of copyright material is “Fair Use.”
Required Releases
For video produced by Central Rivers AEA, required releases must be collected from every student, educator and participant appearing in the footage. In addition, releases must be collected for locations in which filming occurs as well as for any creative material/original works included in the video.
Please note that Central Rivers AEA follows strict adherence to federal copyright laws and therefore we cannot record/distribute programs that contain copyright materials or incorporate any copyright materials into our video productions without the proper permissions and/or licensing.