Gabi asked about the recent Society for Cinema Studies conference. Here's a few comments (as I expressed them to a friend of mine) on a panel on copyright issues: ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- The most interesting part of the SCS conference week before last was the report that Kristin Thompson gave on the copyright status of film frame enlargements. Apparently, she's been preparing an official report to SCS on this subject and her findings will be published in CINEMA JOURNAL. She presented some of them at the conference, in a panel on copyright issues (which included Jane Gaines). Check this out: She and Bordwell have NEVER paid permission fees for frame enlargements! Here's her reasoning--which was backed up by contact with Library of Congress representatives: Frame enlargements of films (she didn't speak specifically to frame enlargements from TV or music video) are considered "derivative works" of the original, copyrighted work. Derivative works include things such as movies made from novels and other profitable enterprises. If someone makes a film from a copyrighted novel then they are infringing on the copyright holder's rights because they are stealing "market value" from them. In that case it would be illegal for someone to create such a derivative work. BUT, in the case of frame enlargements, the copyright holders of films never (well, hardly ever) make frame enlargements and sell them. Thus, frame enlargements have no market value to them. If someone makes and sells frame enlargements he/she istherefore NOT infringing on the copyright because he/she is not decreasing the market value of the copyright. At least, this was my understanding of Thompson's presentation. As Thompson ended her presentation, "I think common sense would dictate, don't ask (for permissions)." P.S. Of course, this pertains solely to US copyright law. Any particulars on Canadian or other country's copyright laws?