From: Rick Prelinger (email suppressed)
Date: Sun Aug 05 2007 - 00:06:42 PDT
>* Who owns the copyright to old home movies bought off eBay or at the local
>swap meet?
Strictly speaking, the creator probably owns copyright in the work as an unpublished work, unless the author died before 1937.
See http://www.copyright.cornell.edu/training/Hirtle_Public_Domain.htm for Peter Hirtle's excellent and authoritative chart.
In practice, no one is likely to come forward, especially if you are making artwork.
>* Is it infringement to use "found film" clips in my films?
Depends on the copyright status and whether your use is fair. I would strongly advise anyone who sees themselves as a maker of artwork to do their work and avoid worrying about infringement. This is not a legal principle, simply a statement in favor of artistic freedom.
>* Is it permissible (legal) to use copyrighted music in experimental films
>without permission?
It is not legal, but permissible as far as I'm concerned.
Rick
-- Rick Prelinger Prelinger Archives http://www.prelinger.com P.O. Box 590622, San Francisco, Calif. 94159-0622 USA email suppressed Prelinger Library: http://www.prelingerlibrary.org NEW: Prelinger Library Digital Collections http://www.archive.org/details/prelinger_library __________________________________________________________________ For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.