James Delahunty
28 Jan 2005 9:59
Eyes on the Prize is the documentary series that chronicles the American civil rights movement, but it can no longer be shown on TV or released on DVD. Costly archival footage that appeared in the film was licensed for only a set number of years, and those licenses have mostly expired. So now, because of this, only old VHS copies still exist in school libraries. The film's production company, Blackside, is investigating the cost to renew the rights. However, it appears that Downhill Battle is once again demonstrating the potential of P2P as they are attempting to save this series.
They are now making this series available for Download using BitTorrent and also are attempting to organise public screenings. Downhill Battle's David Moore said distributing the film amounts to protected fair-use. 16 screenings are now posted on Downhill Battles site. Blackside however don't seem too happy with Downhill Battle's effort. A lawyer for Blackside told Wired News that Downhill Battle has no legitimate fair use claim, and said Backside will pursue all legal remedies to stop illegal downloading of Eyes on the Prize.
Sources:
PublicRadio.org
Downhill Battle