We are going to be recording our show at the weekend. It's legal as we have sorted out with publisher and no parent has withheld permission for recordings of rehearsals or performances on the Parental Consent forms. However, some have withheld permission for anything to go onto the web so I am anxious to ensure that no one posts any snippets of the shows on You Tube, Facebook etc.

To do this I propose to inform everyone that the copyright of the recording remains with our group and that posting of any content of the show on the web or showing the recording in public, without written permission, will be infringement of this copyright.

Does this cover it? Has anyone else encountered this issue?

I'm no expert on the legal side but you seem to have fulfilled your obligations. I don't see what else you can do.

What you should do is make sure the copies cannot be easily copied as well. Then anyone trying to upload stuff will have that hurdle to cross and it will maybe put them off. Given the nickname nature of Youtube I dont know how easy it would be to find out who had uploaded something

I trust you'll be doing this in writing? Possibly on the sleeve notes that accompany the DVD, or on the printed top surface, if that's how you're doing it? if so, it seems to me that you have taken all reasonable precautions.

And, of course, you can look forward to seeing the extracts on YouTube in about a week! Heck, if Sony and their pals can't prevent it why on earth should you expect to be able to do so?

Even copy protection can be only a gesture. The key would need to be one of the standard ones that all DVD players understand, and they've been cracked back, front and sideways...

regards,
/alan

Yes, we will be getting everyone to sign an undertaking when they place their order & we can put a copyright statement on the disks. I guess if we retain the copyright then we can force You Tube, Facebook etc to take it off their websites, but this of course depends on us finding out that they have been posted in the first place!

I honestly don't think you can do much more, apart from putting a "do not copy to the web" statement in the credits section at the start of the recording. There's certainly no technological way of absolutely preventing copying.

Now you did say that some parents have permitted recording but not given permission to post on the web. You probably need to be honest with them and tell them you can't absolutely guarantee that it won't happen.

Also, perhaps to get a sense of proportion here, consider what the consequences of "putting it on the web" would actually be. Yes, I'm fully aware that there are wierdos and worse out there and don't wish to minimise what harm these people can do. Mind you, unless it is absolutely exceptional and acheives cult status, any given recording is extremely unlikely to stand out against the background of thousands of videos loaded daily. It's risk management, really.

The DVD should also carry a forced trailer so that you cannot go to play without reading it first.

I also suggest you make the 'reason' part of the notice. I.E. Some show participant's or their parents have refused permission to have their image published on the web. Not only will it be a breach of copyright to publish any part of this disk, this society will also treat any attempt to do so as a gross breach of trust and take appropriate action.

Just a suggestion.

Robin

Nice one Robin!

Although slightly off topic, can I urge everyone involved in Amdram where children are involved: You need to be au fait with the law, and you are strongly recommended to have a written child protection policy. This has been discussed elsewhere.

I would just like to say how refreshing it is to see a professional approach being taken when so many groups flout copyright and CP issues.

Don't think there is much more you can do that you haven't already done

H

Just a minor nit.

You say no parent has witheld permission. Is this opt-in or opt-out?
What I mean is you're on much stronger ground if they actually write "yes" in a box rather than fail to tick a box that says no.

There is no way to guarantee stuff from the DVD won't end up on YouTube. For all the notices, encryption, forced trailers etc etc you choose to put on some kid can always re-record the screen with a mobile phone and it's on. Just make sure it's clear that's all.

R

Thanks everyone who has responded. And yes, it is actually an opt in AND opt out as they have to delete the yes or the no option, so we are completely clear on what the parents want. We have also split the options, so everyone has said yes to recording but some have said no to images going onto the web.

We have also told parents who have said yes, that even if we set up a password protected site, we cannot guarantee that people wont inform non-members (such as friends and family) what the password is, so inevitably non-members will get access.

And yes, we do have a child protection policy.