----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Bjorn Aas said:
>
>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.
>
 
This may be the case in Norway, but it is VERY ILLEGAL in Sweden. We are
not allowed to show any film in its entirety for our students, unless it is
in the public domain. Even if we have bought the tape or laserdisk it is a
breach of the copyright law to do this without obtaining permission through
the copyright organisation here (for a large fee, I might add). There is
one outlet that rents a limited number of so called INSTITUTIONAL VIDEOS,
but the price is about 50 dollars a shot to show them, and there is very
little selection. There is NO DIFFERENCE between these videos and the ones
you rent in the local video store. It is just that you are going through
the proper source.
 
I would be interested in knowing how the law works in other countries. This
discussion was up at a panel in New York at the SCS conference a couple of
weeks ago. In the USA, this is standard procedure; buy a tape and you can
show it, but I told them this is not the case in Sweden.
 
I am sure there are many educators unknowingly breaking the law out there.
I think that films shown on television (and then taped) and/or films bought
through commercial channels should be allowed for educational class
screenings without having to obtain special permission.
 
Waiting to hear the cries of rage...
BERT
 
********************************************************************
*  Bert Deivert   Film Studies      University of Karlstad         *
*  E-Mail: [log in to unmask]      Box 9501    S-651 88 Karlstad  *
*  Voice: 46-54-83 81 06            SWEDEN                         *
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