Selling movies with Riff Trax?

[Tarantulas]

The Legend Films edition of movies that feature Mike's commentary are Public Domain, which means in the US, that they are not protected by copyright (similar to Shakespeare's plays) and can be cut into different editions or, in our case, colorized from black and white with a riff track embedded into it.

They exist in the public domain at present, but that could all change if someone wanted to persue the matter.

Corman has stated for years that he still owns the rights to "Little Shop of Horrors".  He even took a full page ad out in Variety at one point.

That is why Rifftrax makes so much sense!  No one can EVER tell Legend that they can't sell them because its protected as parody.

It's a good stable long term business plan that will insure years of entertainment for the fans (and hopefully years of employment for our buddies at Rifftrax).

[Hank]

We most likely won't be able to sell movies with the riffs burned into them any time soon. Recent copyright laws make fast-forwarding through a movie an iffy subject (and I'm NOT joking when I say that...)

You must be. I work in copyright law and that sounds like speculative interpretation of the statutes which has not been tested in court (yet).
Copyright doesn't even cover time-shifting and fast-forwarding or skipping commercials. and those are integral to getting shows "for free".
I'll put it this way: Were that true (FF "iffy"), then pretty much every studio is releasing the purchaser of any liability by placing chapter points in a film. DVDs can be easily made to prohibit any user input, requiring one to watch it in it's entirety when it is loaded into the player.

[kodiakthejuggler]

DVDs can be easily made to prohibit any user input, requiring one to watch it in it's entirety when it is loaded into the player.

Speaking of which, I own the Platinum Comedy Series DVD of Bruce Bruce, and they force you to watch an advertisment that's basically one long preview of UrbanWorks Entertainment's ENTIRE catalog...

Talk about a drag...........

[Tarantulas]

Disney tries to do the same thing with its DVDs.. Like the old days of VHS with "trailers" at the front of the movie..

[gammer]

This is why I re-author *all* my DVD's. I usualy just reauthor them to have the movie and some chapters. If the "extra" stuff is good, I might throw it on a seperate DVD.

[Tarantulas]

This is why I re-author *all* my DVD's. I usualy just reauthor them to have the movie and some chapters. If the "extra" stuff is good, I might throw it on a seperate DVD.

Careful, the MPAA might be listening

[WouTar]

I think you should be allowed to change or do whatever the hell you want with it, as long as you don't resell it or copy it for distribution.

[SmilinJackRoss]

I think you should be allowed to change or do whatever the hell you want with it, as long as you don't resell it or copy it for distribution.

Along those lines, here's a thought.  How about a service where you mail in movies that you've already purchased on your own, and they make a cleaned up copy for you, and send back the original along with your clean copy.  This is assuming that it's legal to create a backup copy of a DVD you've already purchased and have no intention of distributing.

Does anyone know for sure one way or another if it is legal to back up your own media?  It should be, but that doesn't mean it is.

[sarcasm_made_Easy]

that is in fact a clever idea. 

[Hank]

Does anyone know for sure one way or another if it is legal to back up your own media?  It should be, but that doesn't mean it is.

For all intents and purposes, it should be. It has not been tested in court yet.

It should follow the same guidelines as digital media from 20-30 years back. Making a backup of your own software is legal, even if you must break copy protection.

The only problem is when you get a third party involved. It is one thing to have third party backup your data, but another entirely to have them alter it.

[Tarantulas]

It should follow the same guidelines as digital media from 20-30 years back. Making a backup of your own software is legal, even if you must break copy protection.

Trouble is, it's not the same.  If in the course of exercising your legal right to make a backup of your personal DVD/CD/Software you have to break encryption or otherwise circumnavigate some manner of copy protection, you have indeed broken the law.  That law is called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMCA

[SaucyRossy]

Question to Jproof:

Has there been any discussion with any movie studios about partnering with Legends and having Mike do commentaries for some of there movies ?

Personally I don't see why they wouldn't want to do it for alot of there older and or less than good movies? Maybe they don't want to hurt directors feelings.

[SmilinJackRoss]

Maybe they don't want to hurt directors feelings.

Feelings hurt or not, I am quite certain that if they thought it would make them money, they would do it.  Didn't they let Kevin Smith do a comedic commentary on the re-release of Road House?  (I haven't heard it)

[Hank]

That law is called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMCA

Besides that wiki's aren't designed to provide legal advice, they often leave out a big chunk of information.

Even within the DMCA, there is a provision for archival and/or protective backup, even if copyright protection circumvention is required.
None of this has been put to the test yet. I would eagerly defend such a case, pro bono, were such a case ever presented. I've searched and have yet to come across even one case. That kind of case is basically a "closed door" situation which will (probably) never see the light of day.

[Tarantulas]

Even within the DMCA, there is a provision for archival and/or protective backup, even if copyright protection circumvention is required.  None of this has been put to the test yet.

Regardless of how you wish to interpret the law, it all comes down to the sheer poundage of lawyers possessed by parties on both sides of the issue.

Considering the long list of lawsuits (and subsequent favorable rulings) that the copyright holders have waged against folks (DVDecrypter / Mod Chips / Etc), I doubt that is going to change any time soon.

Unless the DMCA is greatly amended, you are on shaky legal standing.