Instructional Videos Copyright Law
Copyright law is in place in the U.S. to protect creators of instructional videos and other intellectual property from those using the content of such intellectual property for their own gains without rewarding the person or persons who created the content.
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Applyiing a Copyright
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Copyright is applied to an instructional video once it is recorded. However, to enforce that copyright in a court of law, that is to protect the content from other people selling the video, the creator of the instructional video must register the copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office.
Who Owns the Copyright
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Since video is a complex medium, chances are that multiple individuals may own parts of the copyright, unless a company or single individual contracted a group to create the video.
A group of individuals may share copyright ownership. These individuals might include the person who wrote the script, the director and, in some cases, an editor. If animation also is in the video, the animator may be included in the list of copyright owners.
If a company or single individual commissioned the video, it is considered a "work-for-hire," and the party commissioning the video is the copyright owner.
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Duration of Copyright
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If the video is a work-for-hire, the copyright is valid for 120 years after it is created, or 95 years after it is first made available to the public, whichever comes first.
If the individual or group of individuals creating the instructional video owns the copyright, the copyright is valid for 70 years after the death of the last surviving copyright holder.
Licensing Instructional Videos
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Like commercial films, instructional videos require some sort of license agreement to be used. In many cases, this is a simple sale of the video. Purchasing the video allows an instructor to use it in class, but not to re-distribute the video, whether or not the instructor or other individual seeks a profit.
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References
- Photo Credit copyright image by cam422 from Fotolia.com
