Ah, Wretched Plight!
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash, modified in Photoshop and Canva by Jean Turman, Shakespearean text generated with the help of ChatGPT free version
Drama—we all have it in our lives, even when we’re not paid actors! Twentieth century Irish dramatist Sean O’Casey even opined, “all the world’s a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed.” Despite our own woes, film and theatre are massively consumed by the general population. We take supreme delight in others’ joys, sorrows, love, and misery. Dramatic works, on film and on stage, offer us a compact, digestible view of lives and stories. And these works are copyrightable.
Nigh 170 years ago during the month of August 1856, “copyright protection was extended to dramatic compositions, including, for the first time, the right of public performance” (Copyright.gov, n.d., “Dramatic Works Are Protected”). And about half of a century later, “the amendment of the 1909 act” extended “copyright protection to motion pictures on August 24, 1912. Prior to that date, motion pictures had to register their works as a series of still photographs” (Copyright.gov, n.d., “Highlight”).
Dramatic works, including films, actually involve many moving parts that would be copyrightable on their own, such as a musical number, an artistic set, or a performance of oratory. Under copyright law and with the ability to register an entire theatrical composition or motion picture, all pieces are housed within the main work, uniting all of those disparate yet essential elements and allowing for a single registration of copyright. Still, various individual elements of a film or drama such as the music, lyrics, script, or dance choreography, may be separately copywritten.
When navigating copyright issues, as we’re available and the Copyright Center is here to help you do so, there are these basics to keep in mind regarding copyrights and dramatic works:
Students – The BU Library allows students to access myriad media! Films and other audio-visual recordings are a great resource for learning and research. Using these materials and citing them in your research is considered to be a fair use of copywritten material. Remember, to avoid plagiarism you need to cite whenever you quote, paraphrase, or refer to any of these sources. If you find yourself flummoxed when it comes to citations, you can use our Plagiarism Tutorial or reach out to our friendly reference librarians who are on call to help! And I highly recommend taking advantage of the support our Writing Center can provide.
Faculty – Since films and other media make such great tools for teaching and learning, it is quite common to include access to these kinds of sources via your learning management software. But due to the copyrights involved, you need to request permission for use, display, and presentation of the media. BU Library has numerous databases of media for which we’ve already obtained license. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, contact me or complete our Copyright Permission Request and I’ll help you.
And just like that, no more copyright drama, thanks to your library and the Copyright Center.
Super Copybara!
ai-generated image created in Adobe Photoshop by Jean Turman
References:
Ash, E., & Seven Dimensions Films of Australia, production company. (2015). Insights and strategies. Copyright warning (E. Ash) [Video recording]. Seven Dimensions. https://bellevue.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01BUN_INST/1jbe57m/alma991004239681307376
Copyright.gov. (n.d.). “Dramatic Works Are Protected.” Timeline: the 19th century. Retrieved from https://www.copyright.gov/timeline/timeline_19th_century.html
Copyright.gov. (n.d.). “Highlight: Congress passes first comprehensive copyright law of the twentieth century.” Timeline: 1900–1950. Retrieved from https://www.copyright.gov/timeline/timeline_1900-1950.html
Images:
Ah, Wretched Plight! A photograph of a theater actor in all black on a black background, with only arms and head visible, hands on either side of the head as if in turmoil, wearing a white mask with cutouts for the eyes. A speech bubble shows the text, “Ah, wretched plight! Copyright law doth confound mine art!” Original photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash, modified in Photoshop and Canva by Jean Turman, with Shakespearean-style text generated with the help of ChatGPT free version.
Super Copybara! A capybara sits facing front, with a red superhero cape and mask, a blue collar on a blue sky background with clouds, and a sun only revealed by half light, sun rays, and gold-tinged clouds. This is an obviously ai-generated image created in Adobe Photoshop by Jean Turman.
Thank you for visiting the Bellevue University Library Copyright Center, where we are ready to guide you on your path to understanding copyright. This guide offers numerous resources, including links to sites, tutorials and quizzes, frequently asked questions, and feature articles that will inform you about copyright.
Do you have a copyright question? Ask me by sending an email to copyright@bellevue.edu, or reaching out via my contact information. You can also submit your question using our Copyright Request form.
Need a refresh on copyright basics? Check out the feature article for a refresher on copyright!
Though copyright can feel woefully wearying, this article provides an overview of the Who–What–When–Where–How—and Why of copyright, in order to offer a navigable path toward understanding.