----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>The transfer from European PAL or SECAM (France) is not legal to do
>because you undercut the distribution agreements that go by territory.
>However, nobody will probably ever find out if you do it (great advice)
 
Philip Farhas problem is common to us all. It is easy and fast to cut
corners, but what do our students learn by that? I hate to take the long and
slow way, but by so doing, I try to tell my sometimes attentive audience
that if they cheat on others copyright today, most probably somebody will
cheat on their copyright in the future.
 
The long and slow way is somewhat expensive, but as far as I can see legal.
It means buying a multistandard VCR (the Panasonic does _not_ require a
multistandard TV-set), or using a multistandard LaserDisc player (which also
can give perfect pictures on almost any TV).
 
Then we can buy tapes and disks from all over the world and use them for
educational purposes. What we still cannot do is arrange public viewing and
charge the audience for the show.
 
I had a fabulous afternoon in Virgin Records at Sunset Blvd. LA in January,
watching how fast 400$ blows when you can shop the LaserDisks you want (or
correctly; afford). So far that shop, and one named Akers Mic in Oslo,
Norway, seems to have the best selection of LD's in stock, Virgin being the
cheapest, naturally. And it feels great to let my students watch the film
classics themselves, instead of only reading about them. (Both shops have
mail-order catalogues, by the way.)
 
Bjorn Aas, TV-lecturer, Danvik Folkehogskole, N-3046 Drammen, Norway
             (Danvik School of Media and Communication)
Tel: ..47 3283 1290  Fax: ..47 3289 1245 E-mail [log in to unmask]