RE: What to do with item in outdated format

[deg farrelly <deg.farrelly@xxxxxxx>]

I disagree that you have the right to duplicate a series that you purchased
on laserdisc.

Films for the Humanities still distributes the series, on VHS and on DVD.
http://www.films.com/Films_Home/item.cfm?s=1&bin=820

IN GENERAL, copyright law rarely provides for complete copying of work (tho
there are exceptions)
Copyright law likley would permit duplication if the item were damaged, or
in an obsolete format, and there were no way to acquire new copies at a
reasonable price, after a reasonable effort.... (See Chapter 1, Section 108
http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#108 )

In this case you would need to make the argument that laserdisc is obsolete.
(Personally, I9m not sure it is... Outdated, outmoded, passe9, yes.  But not
yet * obsolete *.)

In any case, the obsolete format argument does not apply as new copies are
still available in other formats, and from the original distributor.  And
this information was remarkably easy to find with a 30 second search of the
FFH website.

FFH is a VERY reasonable company with which to deal.  They were pioneers and
VERY forward thinking in extending digital streaming rights to educational
institutions for the titles they carry.

Speak to them....

--
deg farrelly, Associate Librarian
Arizona State University West Library
PO Box 37100
Phoenix, Arizona  85069-7100
Phone:  602.543.8522
Email:  deg.farrelly@xxxxxxx



>
> Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 09:14:12 -0500
> To: <digital-copyright@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> From: "Blobaum, Paul" <p-blobaum@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: What to do with item in outdated format
> Message-ID: <A630964059DE93419C8D0E691EB1990401915322@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> A set of laser videodiscs was purchased by mistake a few years ago... by
> someone who has left the institution.  We have no laserdisc equipment to
> view them with.  The Films for the Humanitis & Sciences  "The Living
> Body" series films are expensive, $2 K or so.  The discs are unopened
> and it is terrible no one has been using them.
>
> Seems to me we have the right to transfer them to DVD so we can use
> them, the problem is who has a laser disc player to be able to do this?
>
> Has anyone encountered this bailiwick and how did you handle it?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Paul Blobaum          708-534-4990 x5142
> University Professor and Health Sciences Librarian
> Governors State University Library
> University Park, IL  60466       p-blobaum@xxxxxxxxx

--
 deg