Join us for a press conference celebrating
Fair Use and Free Speech

Contact: Michon Boston, 202-885-3642

Friday, November 18, 2 pm, Reception to follow!
Room 602 Washington College of Law,
4801 Massachusetts Av. NW, Washington DC

The Center for Social Media (CSM) in the School of Communication and the Program on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest (PIPPI) at the Washington College of Law welcome you at the release of the Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement on Best Practices in Fair Use.

Documentary filmmakers have all too often found their creative work hobbled by unnecessarily harsh copyright clearance practices. Now, filmmakers have taken the initiative to change their environment. Five leading filmmaker organizations have collaborated with the American University project to make public shared professional understandings of when and how to invoke fair use.

Fair use is the legal, unlicensed use of copyrighted materials. But filmmakers find that broadcasters and cablecasters, lawyers and insurers tell them that fair use is too hard to define. Fair use is interpreted by discipline and profession. Therefore, working professionals deliberated together in meetings over the last year and across the nation, through their organizations, to devise this Statement. The CSM and PIPPI coordinated the meetings, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

On November 18, filmmakers such as Gordon Quinn (Hoop Dreams; New Americans), David Van Taylor (With God on Our Side; A Perfect Candidate; Attica), Katy Chevigny (Deadline) and others will be joined by representatives of the five signatory organizations: Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers, Independent Feature Project, International Documentary Association, National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, and Women in Film and Video (Washington, D.C., chapter). As well, representatives of some public broadcasting and educational organizations will be present to pledge their use of the Statement.

Among the other announcements will be news of a new film contest, and of grants provided by the Rockefeller Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.