Legality of Taping TV Programs
The United States Copyright Office is responsible for enforcing copyright laws, which govern how copyrighted materials, such as television programs, can be recorded. A major distinction is made between consumer uses and commercial uses.
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History
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In the case of Sony v. Universal City Studios in 1984, the United States Supreme Court ruled that consumers who videotape television programs to view at a later time were engaging in "fair use" of the copyrighted material and not in violation of the Copyright Act. Commercial use of taped programming, such as the selling of videotaped materials, would not fall into the fair-use category.
Significance
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Rules regarding videotaping television programs also apply to other technologies that allow consumers to time-shift their viewing of previous shows and save them for future viewing. This includes digital video recording devices.
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Educational Use
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The Copyright Act allows for educators to use recorded materials for educational purposes on a limited basis. A committee of educational leaders and leading copyright owners has established non-binding rules for defining this limited use, including limited use to programs shown through over-the-air television and only within ten school days of its original airing.
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References
Resources
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