Shoot with Caution: Video, the Law and You

Maybe you drive fast all the time and haven't had a ticket in years. Maybe you'll never get one. But if your luck runs out and one day you get stopped, excuses like "I didn't know the speed limit" or "I drive like that all the time" won't get you very far with the judge. It's the same with making video. Many people casually use music and video clips without permission. Many people routinely tape other people without their consent. Most of the time there's not a problem. But if there is, ignorance of the law is a weak defense.

How important is it, really, to pay for the rights to the music playing on the stereo in the background at your grandchild's birthday party? The ranger leading a nature walk in a national park probably doesn't mind being taped, so why should you worry about toting a release form? And why not spice-up that tournament footage you shot of the golf pro on the practice tee with a hole or two you recorded from the network broadcast? Many people never think twice about these things, and if their productions are mostly casual affairs--primarily for family and friends--then most will never be considered infringements. But it's like speeding. If your luck runs out, the consequences are potentially significant.

Because you make video, copyright, privacy and permission are very important areas of the law to be aware of. Here is a general overview of some of the most pressing legal questions most videographers will face. The disclaimer, of course, is that this story cannot be construed as formal legal advice, that Videomaker will not be held liable in any instance of a copyright or privacy action resulting from this story, and that Videomaker assumes all our readers will exercise good comm…