--- Forwarded Message from Duncan Charters <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 16:22:05 -0500 (CDT)
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum               <[log in to unmask]>
>From: Duncan Charters <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #6221 Digitized French in  Action and DESTINOS

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I too have been looking into the issue of digitizing video materials and am
not hearing consistent responses, so any further information and advice
would be appreciated.

At the last IALLT meeting it was mentioned in an early session that
Annenberg was charging thousands of dollars for permission to digitize
their video series.  This was contradicted by a speaker in a later session,
who had apparently obtained permission without such a fee.  In one
discussion, it was suggested that this may depend on how much business one
is giving a supplier (in books and ancillary materials).  It also seems to
depend on whom one contacts within the organization.  I was told by one
person that they always get such permissions from publishers in writing by
fax.  One time this person requested some change as their system was being
modified.  The publisher claimed they had never given permission in the
first place.  The school had to send a copy of the fax back to the
publisher to prove that they had been given the digitizing rights.  The
publisher apologetically recognized that indeed the rights had been given.
I raised this question with the international sales manager of the Spanish
publishing house EDELSA at the recent AATSP meeting, since they are
beginning to publish DD-ROM and video materials.  He was unaware of the
issue, so it seems that each company is developing its own practices as
they are asked.

What does seem standard practice is the following:
1.  If rights are given, the digitized materials must be made available
only to enrolled students.  This would be done either through the use of an
intranet with no outside access, or through a password-secured system if
students can access the material via ethernet or modem from their dorm or
apartment computer.
2.  Rights are usually given for specific course use rather than
indefinitely for all-university use.  This would mean that one can be asked
to repeat the request for rights for such digitized use each time a course
is offered.

At one of the IALLT sessions, a speaker shared a helpful list of publisher
contacts for requesting permissions.  Are people finding this gets them to
the person who is most likely to be helpful and facilitate such permissions?

Duncan Charters
Principia College Language Department


>Hi all! We are in the process of moving from analog to all digital
>supplementary materials in our department of modern languages. We are
>using DAVID for all audio files and now wish to convert the video series
>named above onto CDrom. It seems to me that I read on this very list that
>others have done the same...or was I dreaming it? Also, who knows the
>copyright laws for converting from one media to another for strictly
>classroom use? Thanks fo any help!
>
>Cheers!
>Maria Alvarez