DVine Wrote:
my demo reel has copyrighted music and i was taught in copyright class that was fine. I just can’t sell or televise it without purchasing the rights.
Copyright class?
Well, if your instructor said this, he is flat out wrong.
You can put all the copyrighted stuff you want into your demo reel, you just can’t show it to anyone. When you display or exhibit the work, you are in copyright violation. When you mail a copy of the demo to a producer or hiring manager, you are distributing the work, thus violating copyright. If you put the demo reel on the web, then you are way over the line in copyright violation territory.
Many wedding videographers are in that latter category.
The fact is, there’s probably not many video pros in the Television or Film industries whose reels don’t contain any copyright violations. Most of them, however, don’t put their reel on the web.
Bottom line is that when anyone outside of your immediate family sees your reel, it’s in distribution and use of copyright protected music or images is a violation. The reality is that almost everyone does it and to my knowledge, no one has ever been busted for it. (I do know that some wedding videographers have received “cease and desist” letters for putting demos that contain protected works on their web site).
[By the way, since your original post mentioned it – Sale or profit – or lack of profit – has absolutely NOTHING to do with copyright. If a violation occurs, the copyright owner doesn’t care whether you made any money from it’s use or not or if the use is for a non-profit charity. It’s still a violation. Profit only comes into the equation when determining damages.]
Steve
IANAL
