Tag: nc
Did Your Client’s Google Search Find You?
by Randy Davis on Jul.26, 2010, under Video Production
The current economic downturn has lasted about two years now, but it hasn’t deterred individuals from researching products and services online. You are about to be totally surprised about the facts that are contained in this article.
You may want to sit for the following informational brief. 51%…(yes that is over half) of the searches on Google are for VIDEO! 52% of ALL web traffic is now VIDEO.
Your clients “do not” want to read your webpage. Your clients want engaging video content and video testimonials, because that carries so much more weight with a decision maker, than your website copy. Case in point: Our website has a :45 video which plays upon entrance onto our site. The average time on our homepage is 1:02. Coincidence? I think not.
As I’ve said before…”Video is the next website”. As a matter of fact, if you are currently using video for your business, you may be too late. By using a professional video production company (either Episode XI Studios or one of the many great companies locally), your business image will be presented in the very best way possible.
Call us and use us as a sounding board. Phone calls are always free, and we’d love to talk with you about your next project.
Respond-Dont React (part 3)
by Randy Davis on Mar.15, 2010, under Video Production
3. Operational Inefficiencies Uncorrected
We live in a world of instant gratification and that trend is sure to continue. With that in mind, are there any opportunities within your organization, to reduce waste, or eliminate inefficiencies?
As cash flow because more important than ever, it’s paramount that businesses always be mindful of how their mousetrap is operating. I believe that one of the most overlooked operational blunders is the mistake of using old technology, with an expectation of an increasing productivity.
It’s not secret that payroll is the number one expense of most businesses, and when the workforce is restricted, the entire organization becomes inefficient. A simplistic example of this is the use of old, slow, computers and software. When an employee uses equipment with a slower rate of output, then operations are sure to suffer inefficiencies.
Does Your Video Have Mainstream Music?
by Randy Davis on Dec.22, 2009, under Video Production
First appearing in VideoMaker Magazine, this following article explains the law concerning Fair Use Vs Copyright Infringement. Although this article talks specifically about YouTube, laws across application vary little.
In May 2008, Viacom brought a $1 billion lawsuit against YouTube for allegedly failing to protect the rights of copyright owners. The most common cases of copyright infringement involve using songs in a film or video without permission of the copyright holder, or placing segments of movies or music videos on websites where it is easy for the public to download them. Such actions have cost studios millions of dollars in royalties. Therefore, the giants of the entertainment industry have begun cracking down on websites such as YouTube.
YouTube, in response to these accusations, started to remove videos that may use segments of music or film without the copyright owner’s permission. Accounts posting such videos have also been suspended. Fan videos that incorporate a celebrity picture slideshow using a song as the primary audio track and videos of musicians playing covers of famous songs are common examples of videos that have been deleted from YouTube as a result of alleged copyright infringement.
Besides the removal of the video and suspension of the account, penalties for such actions can be extreme. If a music company believes that posting such videos is music piracy, it can file suit and be awarded up to $150, 000 per song. On the criminal side, jail time in federal prison is also a possibility for anyone convicted. Because of these harsh penalties – even though only a remote possibility – it is extremely important to protect yourself from any allegations of copyright infringement. Copyright violations are equivalent to theft, both legally and morally. Proving there is no infringement can take time and effort. Why risk the penalties?
If your work is for educational purposes, then use of copyrighted material falls under the “Fair Use” provision, which allows reasonable use of copyrighted work, without permission, for research, criticism, or education. A notice at the beginning or end of your production giving credit to copyright owners for their work is usually sufficient. Be aware, however, that not citing sources, or attempting to pass off copyrighted material as your own work, is not considered “fair use.” It is plagiarism and can result in harsh penalties.
Works with expired copyrights are considered to be in the “public domain” and can be used without fear of liability of infringement. The major catch in this provision is that copyrights have very long terms before expiry. For example, any sound recording published in the United States after March 1989 will not be available to the public until March 2049 at the earliest. As of January 2009, the only sound recordings that are automatically available in the public domain are those published before 1923, and those published between February 15, 1972 and March 1989 without a copyright. All other recordings may be in the public domain, but further investigation would be required.
Both “fair use” and “public domain” are gray areas, making it difficult to ensure that you are not infringing the rights of others. The safest action to take is to get permission (usually a written contract, known as a license) from the copyright owner of any material being used in your video production.
The music labels commonly hold the copyrights for sound recordings. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a major blanket organization that works with many major labels and is an excellent resource for you to obtain a license to use music as part of your production. Licensing agencies can aid in procuring a license. Examples of licensing agencies include The Harry Fox Agency, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) and Sound Exchange. Most licensing agencies are blanket agencies that cover many labels. To get licenses for just one or two songs, however, it is usually easiest to contact the individual label.
Licenses can be requested using a simple letter to the copyright owner asking for authority to use the copyrighted material. The letter should incorporate a complete explanation of the work to be used and how you will use it. Include a place in the letter for the owner to sign and send back a response.
Contributing editor Attorney Mark Levy specializes in intellectual property law. Saba Siddiqui is a senior in high school and a legal intern for Mark Levy. She plans to attend law school after university.
Since Mr. Levy’s story was first posted, as of late September 2009, Google (owner of YouTube) has now changed its rules regarding copyright. Google will begin to allow copyright content to remain up unless the copyright owner objects. This new decision comes in most part from a popular viral wedding dance video that has become Sony Music’s 8th most popular song.
http://www.videomaker.com/article/14261/
