Equipment Offered  |  Services Offered  |  Classrooms  |  For Students

Copyright Restrictions for Copying (Duplicating) Video Recordings:

Violation of copyright law is a serious concern when videotape duplication is performed. Any violation of copyright law can potentially put the AV Department, it's personnel, the College and you at risk for criminal prosecution or civil suits.

Therefore, the AV Department has strict restrictions regarding what matter may be duplicated. In order to copy any videotaped program which you are not the producer or author of, you must have received explicit written consent from the copyright holder for that program. This means we cannot make a copy of the video you may have rented, or a program you have taped from television without this explicit written permission. In most cases most video program producers will not provide this permission, and will instead encourage you purchase your own copy directly from them or from a store. In a few rare cases a producer may give such permission if that program or tape is otherwise unavailable.

Audio Visual Services will not make any copies of commercially produced or televised programming without express written permission from the copyright holder. There are no exceptions.

What Can Be Duplicated:

  • Personal tapes which were videotaped by you. This includes personal camcorder tapes or any programs for which you are effectively the copyright holder.
  • Classroom tapes recorded with HCAV equipment.
  • Programs recorded or produced by Haverford College.
  • Programs for which you have express written permission from the copyright holder to duplicate. A copy of this permission must be provided to HCAV when a duplication request is made.
  • Tapes that fall under the guidelines of Section 108 of the copyright code:
  • Section 108 (17 U.S.C. Section 108) allows libraries to make a copy "solely for the purpose of replacement of a copy or phonorecord that is damaged, deteriorating, lost or stolen, if the library or archives has, after a reasonable effort, determined that an unused replacement cannot be obtained at a fair price." This right of reproduction does not permit the making of backups.

What Cannot Be Duplicated:

In general HCAV cannot legally duplicate any of the following materials:

  • Commercially produced videocassettes. These may include movies, television programs, or other programs.
  • Tapes of programs which have been recorded from other tapes, DVDs, or laserdiscs, or from cable TV, broadcast television, or any other broadcast source.
  • Non-commercial tapes for which the customer is not the producer or copyright holder. These may be demonstration tapes, corporate videos, music videos, etc.

Updated: May 19, 2003