Well my moral views on copies go as far as this...

Video recorders were made for a reason, right? So that we can keep a copy of anything we wish to record from our television. I believe that as soon as something has been broadcast we have the right, so long as we have the ability, to save a copy for later viewing. So long as there's no profit made from it, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it to me.

What's this nonsense you're not allowed to convert this and that? I may live the sheltered life, but how are you supposed to get MP3s for your MP3 player without having the original disc and without downloading? Why does Microsoft even include the technology in Media Player if it's so illegal? And so many records are unavailable as CDs, and I have a feeling they've stopped selling record players. If not, they certainly don't sell them where I live.

Phew. Now I feel better after saying all of that. Back to the subject.

Here's the word on where the money goes...

The stores purchase the goods wholesale, and are then allowed to up the price to the RRP (or more or less; however they please). Of the wholesale price, money goes to the people who distribute it, who make it (physically), the record company, etc, depending on how the record company lawyers have sorted it out. Only a little smidgeon of that amount goes to the artists. As an example, say you buy a record for $30 (as is the average nowadays), an artist may see about $1 of that (on average). It all depends on how good everybodies lawyers are, and what contracts were signed.

The format thing baffles me.  If you buy a CD, it's illegal to rip it to your iPod.  If you buy a vinyl, it's illegal to convert it to CD.  It's illegal to tape a song off the radio.  It's illegal to burn a song you bought on Destra to CD.

If I thought for a moment the vast amount of money that would be generated if we all bought the same material in six different formats flowed to the artists involved, I'd not get quite so cranky about it.  But does the dosh go there - or to the few big music/media companies who control the release of material?

They are actually changing the copyright laws in Australia for downloading, but methinks they are completely stupid (as they can't be policed, unless we begin living in a police state, which we are not far off under John Howard). I've been learning far too much about copyright laws at Uni, and a lot of it is a load of crock. They really need to be changed, and unfortunately our government is too stupid to change them properly (in Australia at least).

Damn them!

Hi all!

Thanks for the article, it was a very interesting read. It's really quite mad how far governments go with the copyright laws. There's no doubt that piracy is damaging to the industry, but not all the downloading that occurs means that the industry is losing out. It's because of downloads that I've discovered new shows and bought my own legitimate copies (e.g. ISIHAC, the Mighty Boosh), and there's no doubt that when shows like the Goodies do get released, I'll be buying them in a flash. I like the fact that I now have my own collection of Goodies episodes, but I still want to see an official release as much as anybody else.

I like the paragraph you posted in particular, I agree with it completely. It may be expensive to renew licenses or to release the shows on DVD, but TV shows were made for the public, therefore the public should be entitled to access them regardless of what the TV moguls may think. Otherwise it's not fair on the viewers and it's not fair on the show's creators.

The only trouble is that, as the article points out, the laws in place are way behind the times. Once they get that sorted and, with any luck, examine people's downloading ethics, they might reconsider that we're not all just a bunch of masked bandits wanting to cripple the media industry. We're actually all very nice people with exceptionally shiny shoes. 

Phewf, that was a moan and a half!

Thanks joey for your kind words, you're far too kind! 

For the first time since the warning emails, I've uploaded another Goodies clip to YouTube. It's not the most exciting of clips, it's the first one I found, but it's mainly just a test to see what will happen. Shhhh! 

Jess.

ON the subject, you might find this interesting: http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=3646

It's an opinion piece on copyright, royalties and the copying of media from one format to another.  I like to keep across this stuff, coz eventually I'd like to go into business copying vinyl to CD and organising people's CD collections to iPod, if it weren't technically illegal to do so.

Here's one interesting quote: "But this review needs to go further. It needs to incorporate the concept of accessibility. That is, if the owners of the copyrighted material do not release it into the market place within a reasonable timeframe, then consumers have the right to access this material if available elsewhere. So if a TV station holding the rights to a TV show refuses to air the show after a reasonable time, then viewers would have the right to access the show from other sources. This would include downloading the show from P2P networks."

One final thought: I wonder what the Goodies themselves would think of seeing their material on YouTube? Rather than all the copyright infringement, I've been more worried about any of their objections to it. Hopefully they don't mind!

Jess.



Maybe Lisa could ask the question for us?  Do the boys object to being scanned, downloaded and viewed?
I've enjoyed seeing some of Jess' work and I must add that I too would purchase any commercially availabe releases.  That way I could reuse the tapes in my 'aquired' collection!
Three cheers for Jess though for letting us see stuff we normally wouldn't get to view!  Elephant stamp for you Jess. 

I couldn't agree more.

Just having a quick scan down my list of clips on YouTube, pretty much all of them have had 100+ views (some are in the 1000s), and at least 3 star ratings. There's also been comments made saying how much they love the Goodies, either having just discovered them or having the opportunity to see them aagin after so many years. You'd think the BBC would take note of that.

Legally, it is walking on very thin ice, but morally I think it's a responsible principle to have. I don't have any Goodies clips on there that are longer than five minutes, and I'll never upload commercially available material (except the clip shows, but do they count?  ) The BBC should use something like YouTube to their advantage; test out the response towards their old shows and see if there's still a demand. So long as it's used responsibly, they've got nothing to lose.

Still, it will never happen. Sigh.

Sorry for boring you all to death. I've got an exam tomorrow on communications policy and internet regulation so it's all I'm able to think about at the moment!

One final thought: I wonder what the Goodies themselves would think of seeing their material on YouTube? Rather than all the copyright infringement, I've been more worried about any of their objections to it. Hopefully they don't mind!

Jess.

'

JessPix : ' It's also a tad annoying that they're having a dig at me for uploading the Goodies when they refuse to broadcast or release the episodes on DVD. Or, perhaps that's just me trying to justify myself

It goes back to the unwritten rule I try to live by - if it isn't commercially available, it isn't morally wrong to source it elsewhere.  (Legally, maybe, morally, no.  It's a fine line and not one I'd be prepared to explain in court, however.)  Surely the BBC realise the fact that this stuff's being circulated means THERE'S A GREAT BIG RUDDY DEMAND FOR IT!

I also live by the theory that if and when something I have a dodgy copy of becomes commercially available, to buy it.  That way the artists involved aren't losing any dosh in lost sales, and obviously the more Goodies DVDs sell, the more likely they are to release more. 

It also means I've bought lots of things I otherwise wouldn't have bothered with because I didn't know about (Clue being a case in point) so the BBC and friends have made a lot of extra money out of me as a result.

Right, I'm off to remove my name and email from me profile before the Mirth Inspectors track me down...

Sadly I can't see that picture, but I'm sure it was good! 

I'll be on my best behaviour for a week or so and then I might try uploading something new. If they have another go at me then I'll definitely stop. If not I'll assume it was a one-off and carry on.

Even if I'm told to remove clips, hopefully I'll still be allowed to keep the rare "1948 Show" stuff and my Goodies clip shows.

If anyone knows any other video clip sites then let me know.

Jess.