Rich Fiscus
10 Jul 2008 10:51
The Center for Social Media, a group connected with the School of Communication at American University, focuses on the use of multimedia to affect public awareness and social change. They've published a new guide on fair use intended to help creators, content owners, and service providers understand the generally accepted standards for fair use in documentary video.
Their guide isn't a comprehensive guide to the limits of fair use, something that can really only be determined on a case-by-case basis in a courtroom. Instead it combines commentary from a panel of legal scholars with the standard practices established by professional film makers. It offers general guidance on the legal issues that go into a decision on whether particular cases may or may not qualify as fair use.
Whether you're a future professional film maker or just like to make your own videos for Center for Social Media it's an interesting and informative document worth taking a look at. You can get your own copy or read it online for free from the Center for Social Media's website.