National Geographic Channel's Explorer: Finding Anastasia

[helenazar]

It worked! I will try to send them out tomorrow.

I have been getting a lot of PMs about getting a copy of this DVD, unfortunately I will not be able to make that many copies and mail them to everyone who has asked. I will mail the first two that I promised, but I will also mail a copy to Laura Mabee who can post it on her site where everyone can watch it.

[halen]

Helen, you are a genius and a peach.

Louise

[helenazar]

It's my pleasure. I will let you guys know when they go out.

[Tsarfan]

I really loved it. The only mistake I remember was near the beginning when it said they were killed 'on the night of July 17th'.

It wasn't the night they got wrong.  It was the year.

I noticed it immediately during the broadcast, and here is the tagline that is still showing on the National Geographic  website:

"The last chapter of the Russian’s Czar’s family is written on a night in July 1917."

They were killed in 1918, not 1917.  Very, very sloppy on the part of NG.

[Tsarfan]

It's my pleasure. I will let you guys know when they go out.

Uh, Helen . . . you do realize this material is copyrighted?  And, as a librarian, you do realize what that means?

It really might not be a good idea to use this Forum as a distribution vehicle for illicit copies of copyrighted videos.

[helenazar]

It's my pleasure. I will let you guys know when they go out.

Uh, Helen . . . you do realize this material is copyrighted?  And, as a librarian, you do realize what that means?

It really might not be a good idea to use this Forum as a distribution vehicle for illicit copies of copyrighted videos.

Uh, Mike... You really need to get a life.


Don't worry halen and Sarai, your copies will still be coming, and Laura Mabee will still be uploading it to her website for everyone to enjoy. I will take a chance with the copyright for a good cause, even as a librarian  If FA is concerned about this, he will let me know himself.

[Tsarfan]

Well, having found that helping students to plagiarize papers is of so little concern to other people who relentlessly attack others for intellectual dishonesty, why should I be surprised to find that boldface violations of copyright law are of no concern to you?

[helenazar]

Has anyone told you that you are very annoying, Tsarfan? Sort of like that kid in grade school who has to make sure everyone is doing "the right thing" otherwise tells the teacher... I bet that was you, wasn't it? 

I am not violating copyright laws if I record material off television for educational purposes and not for profit. Which is exactly what I am doing here. I do appreciate your concern about my ethics, but you can stop worrying about me now - I am not breaking any laws, and neither is FA by allowing it.  Especially since I am a librarian, therefore an educator and the institution is Alexander Palace site, which is an educational site. I have several friends who are educators, who do this all the time... I don't think they are breaking any copyright laws either, so please be calm about that. But thank you for your concern. Really.

[Tsarfan]

Yes, Helen, there is a limited "education purposes exception" under the copyright laws.  But it does not extend to providing hard copies of copyrighted material to mutliple parties so that they can avoid buying it themselves, and I think you know that.

Since some of the posters expressly said that your providing them with a copy wiill obviate their plans to buy the DVD for themselves, you know full well how a legal challenge from NG  would go down.

As for being annoying, well, I've been annoyed by finding the same old argument about the same old book popping up in one guise after another on thread after thread for year after year after year.  I guess different things annoy different people.  As for being the self-appointed monitor of doing the right thing . . . well, you can guess my answer to that, too.

[helenazar]

You're absolutely right. I'm sorry guys, I can't break any laws. I won't be sending anyone anything. You're on your own.

[Tsarfan]

That's the right answer.

These history-oriented productions typically generate rather low sales volumes, and many of the people who are likely customers also participate in history discussion forums.  If these forums become a common venue for obtaining pirated copies, how willing do you think the production companies will be to make the investments in these types of videos?  Copyright laws -- just like patents -- actually exist for a salutary reason, Helen.

By the way . . . I just ordered six copies of the DVD directly from National Geographic.  They will arrive next Monday, and I will be happy to send one for free to the first six people who PM me with a request.  I don't want anyone who was hoping to obtain this video to be disappointed by this debate.  And the picture quality will be much higher than a copy from a VHS taped off the air.

[helenazar]

As for being annoying, well, I've been annoyed by finding the same old argument about the same old book popping up in one guise after another on thread after thread for year after year after year.  I guess different things annoy different people.  As for being the self-appointed monitor of doing the right thing . . . well, you can guess my answer to that, too.

Looks like you and I are a lot more alike than either one of us would like to think. Ouch! 

[Marlene]

Helen,  I am also a librarian, and an academic librarian at that.  I am also well-versed in copyright matters, due to being a librarian and a writer. 

You are permitted, according to fair use, to make a single copy for yourself - whether it be a tv program or a magazine article. 

This is one of the best sources for copyright  here in the USA  http://fairuse.stanford.edu/index.html

and the LOC's site  http://www.copyright.gov/


As a librarian, you certainly should be aware that copyright is not about money.  It is about the protection of intellectual property rights.  As a librarian, you are probably aware of the Copyright Clearance Center

http://www.copyright.com/

As a librarian, you are probably aware of the limitations in making photocopies.  It is customary for professors to leave a single copy of an article for students to read.  The professor cannot make multiple copies for the students - -- you would have realized this in library school when your profs left reading material in the library.  Each student can make a copy of the article, but no student can make more than one copy.
It is not up to you to decide what is fair use or educational ... even educational institutions are required to obtain copyright clearances. 
Making copies of tv programs and giving them to other people violates copyright law .. why.  It's not your material to give.  You can make a copy for yourself ... but not for anyone else.

You can mince your words with Tsarfan, but your words do not hold water with me, Helen.  Are you sure you are a librarian with a master's degree in library science from an ALA-accredited school?    I am a librarian ... and I know a heck of a lot about copyright ... and what is right and what is wrong.   Your excuses for fair use and "educational purposes" would not win in a court battle. 

Has anyone told you that you are very annoying, Tsarfan? Sort of like that kid in grade school who has to make sure everyone is doing "the right thing" otherwise tells the teacher... I bet that was you, wasn't it? 

I am not violating copyright laws if I record material off television for educational purposes and not for profit. Which is exactly what I am doing here. I do appreciate your concern about my ethics, but you can stop worrying about me now - I am not breaking any laws, and neither is FA by allowing it.  Especially since I am a librarian, therefore an educator and the institution is Alexander Palace site, which is an educational site. I have several friends who are educators, who do this all the time... I don't think they are breaking any copyright laws either, so please be calm about that. But thank you for your concern. Really.

[Marlene]

Making copies and giving them to others violates international copyright laws, Helen.  Did you get permission from the producer to make these copies.  Will Laura contact the National Geographic Society (which will probably offer the DVD for sale) to seek permission to put the video on her website?  Clue:  the NGS will not permit this, of this I am sure.  And ... there would certainly be a cease and desist action against Laura  because she is posting a film to which she does not have the rights ... Although it is not my practice to turn people in, this might prove to be the rare exception as I know several of the NGS librarians  ... who would want to pass on the information to the NGS rights and permissions department.   I would advise Laura to NOT distribute the program on her website  ... because she could get into a lot, and I mean a lot of trouble from the producers of the program.  It is not her program - as she did not make it ... and does not own the rights to it.  It would be in Laura's best interest to say, thanks, but no thanks. 

Did you sleep through the ethics class  in library school ... or flunk it.   

It's my pleasure. I will let you guys know when they go out.

Uh, Helen . . . you do realize this material is copyrighted?  And, as a librarian, you do realize what that means?

It really might not be a good idea to use this Forum as a distribution vehicle for illicit copies of copyrighted videos.

Uh, Mike... You really need to get a life.


Don't worry halen and Sarai, your copies will still be coming, and Laura Mabee will still be uploading it to her website for everyone to enjoy. I will take a chance with the copyright for a good cause, even as a librarian  If FA is concerned about this, he will let me know himself.

[mr_harrison75]

Just saw the DVD yesterday. Very well done. Nothing new, per se, but I really liked the fact that they got their facts straight. Really liked the part where they tested if diamond-filled corsets could stop bullets, and they tried it with the actual guns used on that horrible night.

I had no idea that the bones were so small, but it's so cool to see the DNA results!

It was good!