Sorry to resurect an old thread but I thought this was relevant.  A new theatrical rights company, Theatrical Rights Worldwide, has attempted to secure for each of their properties, the right for a community theatre organization to make an archival copy AND a copy available to every participant in the production.  There are conditions. Only one official videotaping can be done and announcements must be made forbidding other recordings and it cannot be sold or made into a purchasable souvenir (Duh).

But it sounds like this group is really trying to change how things are done. We interviewed them for our podcast which will be available on January 8th.  They explain the videotaping process and much more about the company.


 

This is great news! An up and coming company! I found their website. They are small - but have some good shows available.

http://www.theatricalrights.com/index.aspx

and a press release:

http://www.theatricalrights.com/press/trw-release-10-10-2006.pdf

Well, first of all, I'm embarassed for being so long in checking in and finding this question.  Especially, when I've been given my own topic, as it were!  I'll try to be better in the future.

Video taping . . . the perennial question.  There are multiple responses to this issue.  The first is that, in general, the play publishers do not handle these rights.  Video and film rights are reserved by the author or copyright holder (an important distinction), and are not included in the contracts that we have with our authors.

Another element here is that film and video rights are considered the same.  So if Paramount Pictures buys the film rights to a play - for the sake of argument let's say one of mine (I should be so lucky!).  Paramount decides to turn my play SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN into a movie.  They buy the film and video rights from me.  Note the use of the word "buy."  They buy and own the rights.  I don't own that part of my copyright any longer (unless there's some time period or reversal in the contract.)  This allows Paramount to make a movie of my play . . . and change whatever they want, because they own it, and after it's long and extremely lucrative run in movie theaters around the world (uh-huh), they then begin to distribute copies of the movie on video (ahem, I mean DVDs) and make millions more.
So you may want to film your production of SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN, but Dramatists Play Service can't give you the right to do so - they never had the rights.  And I can't really give you permission - because I sold the rights.

Now, if . . . I mean, since Paramount has NOT bought the movie rights to my play, I can still grant you permission to make an archival copy, or a copy so the lead can send a copy to his grandmother, etc., etc. 

Now, as to YouTube and posting bootleg videos there . . . yes, it's illegal, and a good way to get caught.  I recently found video from a performance of THE LARAMIE PROJECT online that had been done at a school in Canada.  A student taped it and put it on YouTube.  I contacted the school, and the video's came down a day later.  Yes, there is the potential to get in trouble, and the evidence is easy to find.  I can go to YouTube and search for any particular title and see if someone has violated the terms of their license.  Then it gets messy.  A friend of mine actually just discovered a short play of his video taped and on the internet.  He was flattered . . . but made them take it down.

The answer here (as always) is ASK.  Ask for permission, and get that permission in writing (if granted).  Some agents and authors will allow archival copies to be made.  ARCHIVAL copies.  Not copies for distribution on the internet.  Because that's what it is, illegal distribution of copyrighted material

So, don't make me track you down and send you a mean note.  Don't put videos on YouTube or elsewhere on the internet.   (And now, I think I'll go search for SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN on YouTube!!!)

Craig

Originally posted by Amos Hart I was searching on YouTube yesterday and found videos of various Tony Award performances, including that of Urinetown.  Then I noticed that there were other Urinetown videos posted and so I did a search.  There are a lot of clips of Urinetown from community theatre and high school productions.   Apart from the fact that I can't get anyone in my area to stage Urinetown (and it'll be even harder to do now that the Directing/Choreography controversy has erupted) while high schools are doing the show, a question kept banging into my mind:  Are these people crazy?  Publicly stating they've violated their licensing contract and posting the evidence? What is the stance of the licensing companies concerning YouTube?  Are those theatres in trouble, or are there just too many to go after? Thanks for your time.   Craig Gustafson