Publicity rights

[Aaron Gerow]

> When it comes to frame grabs, don't even ask them. Why give them the 
> chance to say no in the first place. They'll be happy to have the 
> publicity in the end, and if by chance anyone complains to them they 
> may be relieved to say you published it without even asking them.

If it was only that easy. The general trend in copyright thinking in 
Japan--despite reasonable court decisions like the one I mentioned--is 
to eliminate more and more of fair use and the public domain. Frankly, 
many people are scared to use anything for fear of being charged with 
copyright violation. No university or archive in Japan would do 
anything like what Markus did at Michigan with the old Japanese 
magazines, for instance. Other universities prevent students or faculty 
from printing images from films in university publications. It is 
getting scary.

That's why, for instance, the JASIAS has formed a committee to clarify 
what can be done and pressure government and industry to ensure it is 
allowed. More scholars need to get worked up about this problem.


Aaron Gerow
Assistant Professor
Film Studies Program/East Asian Languages and Literatures
Director of Undergraduate Studies, Film Studies Program
Yale University
53 Wall Street, Room 316
PO Box 208363
New Haven, CT 06520-8363
USA
Phone: 1-203-432-7082
Fax: 1-203-432-6764
e-mail: aaron.gerow at yale.edu