How are AMV's legal?

chirs3 · Post by **chirs3** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 1:54 am

Sorry if this has been posted before, but I didn't see it anywhere.

I'm a Kazaa user. Before anyone gets huffy, I do have rules that I follow - if I like it, I buy it at the earliest possible convenience - but I've made it a point not to share any music, because I heard sharing tons o' files is what gets people sued.

What I do share - or rather, did share, until a few minutes ago - were AMV's. My dad found people uploading them from me, and was aghast, aghast I say, and told me to un-share them all.

I started to argue that they were share-able, but I couldn't... I honestly have no idea if they're legal, I just assumed they were. Thinking about it, it is using and distributing copyrighted material (music and footage), but I've never heard of any AMV crackdowns or anything. Is it really illegal, and it's just that nobody cares?

It's kinda the same with Winamp skins, Wallpapers, and other fan-made stuff, isn't it? Using copyrighted images and whatnot, then distributing them for free... something sounds illegal about it, but (thankfully) nothing's ever done about it.

Anyone know copyright law here? Can someone tell me what's going on?

Thanks!

Kalium · Post by **Kalium** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 1:57 am

This is actually something of an old hat topic. In short, it's a giant fuzzy area. Let me put it this way, though: nobody's making money from these, so no corporations really care.

chirs3 · Post by **chirs3** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 1:59 am

Kalium wrote:This is actually something of an old hat topic. In short, it's a giant fuzzy area. Let me put it this way, though: nobody's making money from these, so no corporations really care.

Sort of what I figured.

Plus, though I've never been to a Convention, don't lots of them usually hold AMV competitions? I just can't see a SWAT team kicking in the doors and yelling "EVERYBODY DOWN! THIS IS A RAID!" like they were busting a whorehouse or something.

Pyle · Post by **Pyle** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 2:03 am

chirs3 wrote:
Kalium wrote:This is actually something of an old hat topic. In short, it's a giant fuzzy area. Let me put it this way, though: nobody's making money from these, so no corporations really care.
Sort of what I figured.

Plus, though I've never been to a Convention, don't lots of them usually hold AMV competitions? I just can't see a SWAT team kicking in the doors and yelling "EVERYBODY DOWN! THIS IS A RAID!" like they were busting a whorehouse or something.

Take pictures.

Most companies actually encourage them. AD even got paid to make a Noir one.

trythil · Post by **trythil** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 2:03 am

AMVs, at least in the U.S., are flat-out illegal.

The nice thing is that many people in positions of authority seem to turn a blind eye. For eye.

trythil · Post by **trythil** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 2:05 am

trythil wrote:AMVs, at least in the U.S., are flat-out illegal.

The nice thing is that many people in positions of authority seem to turn a blind eye. For eye.

...what the fuck

I meant to type "For now".

Kalium · Post by **Kalium** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 2:06 am

Well, the RIAA sure doesn't. Conventions have to pay them a lot of money to pla the music.

SuicideKyd · Post by **SuicideKyd** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 2:10 am

The RIAA can kiss my white butt , ill d/load what I please, the get enough of my damn money as is.

Kalium · Post by **Kalium** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 2:11 am

SuicideKyd wrote:The RIAA can kiss my white butt , ill d/load what I please, the get enough of my damn money as is.

Be that as it may, conventions can't afford to do that.

SuicideKyd · Post by **SuicideKyd** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 2:13 am

i know , but i had to vent.