[pd-discuss] Fwd: public screening

Mon Nov 7 12:51:55 UTC 2011

Hi all,

Please see the correspondance below regarding non-commercially
screening public domain films - and particularly screening films which
are pd in the US, but not so in the UK (where I think the screening
would be taking place) .

Can anyone shed any light on this?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Public Domain Review <publicdomainreview at okfn.org>
Date: 7 November 2011 13:44
Subject: Re: public screening
To: brigitte.orasinski at strangecargo.org.uk

Dear Brigitte Orasinski,

Thanks for getting in touch. As far as I understand it is perfectly
legal to screen films which are in the public domain without  needing
a license or to pay a screening fee. The difficulty can be though in
determining whether the film is in the public domain or not. Having a
quick look around I see the Edison Company's 1910 version of Christmal
Carol is in the public domain, but only so in the US. It was made
before 1923 which means it is public domain in the US, however in the
UK it is not (as the director J. Searle Dawley died in 1949 - not more
than 70 years ago). A film being in the public domain in the US but
not being so in the UK is a common scenario - and frankly it is a
little confusing regarding how one can then re-use these films,
including screening in the UK (which I assume you will be) - and
indeed how one can get in touch with companies which might no longer
exist!

The copy of Christmas Carol (1910) on the Internet Archive -
http://www.archive.org/details/AChristmasCarol - has been put up there
by Video Cellar Collection under a non-commercial license. I have no
idea if they own the rights to the original, but it would seem they do
for this copy as they say they their copy is "Remastered, retitled,
tinted and new soundtrack added in 2010". But again its confusing as
it seems they are US based - though (presuming they do not own the
rights to the original) their remastering etc. might have been legal
in the US, it is perhaps not in the UK. But anyhow you can contact
them here: shane at TheVideoCellar.com.

Here is some more info from the BFFS:
http://www.bffs.org.uk/export/sites/bffs_site/pdffolder/IP_finaleditwebdoc.pdf
- but I don't know how helpful this is to your current situation.

I will forward this message on to the publicdomainlist to see if
anyone there might be able to shed some light on the situation!

Sorry I can't be of any more help.

All the best,

Adam.

On 6 November 2011 17:15,  <brigitte.orasinski at strangecargo.org.uk> wrote:
> Dear Public Domain Review
>
> I am installing a community winter grotto and would like to show versions of
> a Christmas Carol as part of it and wondered if public domain films can be
> shown without incurring a screening fee.  I am not charging people an
> admission fee, and we are a not for profit, charitable arts company.  If you
> do not mind giving me some advice, i would very much appreciate it, as this
> is the first time I have attempted to show film and i know it can be a
> minefield.
>
> Thank you.
> kind regards
> Brigitte Orasinski
> Strange Cargo
>

-- 
Adam Green
Editor, The Public Domain Review
http://publicdomainreview.org/
The Open Knowledge Foundation
http://okfn.org/