Copyright

While transferring pictures and video to DVD is technically possible, there are times we must refuse projects due to copyright issues. It’s not that we wouldn’t like to accept the job, rather that in some cases we are not allowed to for legal reasons.

Copyright law is a complex subject, but, as the name suggests, the issue is the “Right to Copy” a protected work.

If you have a photo taken of you by a photographer, the copyright in that photo normally belongs to the photographer, not you (Model releases are another subject). In these cases, we are not permitted to copy the photo without permission from the photographer.

The same goes for commercial films, videos and CDs. While you may have bought a copy, you don’t own the copyright. While the law in Australia was recently changed to allow consumers to copy music from one format to another (such as an MP3 player) for THEIR OWN USE, there is also a clause in the legislation requiring the user to own all the equipment used in making the copy. This means we can’t use our equipment to copy it for you.

Programs recorded from the TV are also copyright.

When leaving material for us to copy, you will be asked to sign a disclaimer stating that you either own the copyright, or have the appropriate permission to authorise us to make the copy.