Fair Use Disney Style

Posted by Kenneth Ronkowitz on

This is post #300 for me on this blog. I forgot all about our first anniversary back in February. I thought #300 would be done from the EduComm conference while I was in California, but despite starting a draft on the keynotes, that didn't happen. I've been caught up in a program this week at NJIT for some very gifted high school students, and the end of the year at Science Park High School.

One of the videos I used with the students during this week's "Media Matters" program at NJIT was "A Fairy Use Tale."  It was made by Eric Faden at Bucknell University. It's a humorous, but quite informative, look at copyright principles. It's done by stitching together many film clips from Disney films to deliver the content.

Why Disney? Well, they are strong advocates of extending the range of copyright (Protect the mouse!) so this fair use of their own clips is particularly effective. I think it's because the film sort of shoves it in Disney's face that the students enjoyed it. Of course, it's also because they know all these Disney films too. And it's funny.

You can find the video at the Stanford Cyberlaw site (a great site to use for discussions on this topic in itself). They offer it as streaming) video (blocked at my high school) or download (mp4) (blocked on my HS computer) or can you can watch a lower quality version on YouTube (also blocked at SPHS).

Despite the title, the video doesn't really focus on just the fair use doctrine but looks overall at copyright. Still, the video IS an example of fair use. (I like that they use a version of that FBI warning screen that we all have come to not read when watching DVDs to state their fair use case. I had to pause the video when I showed it on that frame so that the kids did read it and see what it's all about.) the video is cetainly a good fair use of clips for teaching (would it also fall under "parody").
Explaining the concept of copyright and fair use using the words and mouths of characters in Disney movies is very clever. Some of these students were working in podcasting and video groups and they certainly registered on the incredible number of hours that must have gone into putting this together.
It is part of Stanford University’s Fair Use Project.  Is it a definitive explanation of all this? certainly not. It is a terrific way to introduce this and spark conversation on the issues with student or faculty. Definiely being added to my workshop collection.
It is under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License and that's worth some discussion if you present this to others too.

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