Downloading movies from the Golden Age?

[Matt Crunk]

I recently ran across a website which offers free downloads of over 150 classic Film Noir titles, plus many more general films from The Golden Era to present. Many of the films listed I have never found on DVD or anywhere else, while others are better restored versions of some of the PD films than can be found elsewhere on the web or on cheap DVDs you find in discount bins. After downloading several of them I notice that quite a few were obviously recorded off of TCM, as their logo appears in the lower right corner from time to time while viewing.

OK here's my question: From a legal standpoint, I'm pretty sure the people who operate this site are violating a few copyrights (of those films that aren't in PD) by offering them for download, but from the end user's standpoint, how is downloading these movies for our own private viewing any different, legally, than just recording them directly off of TCM ourselves (which comes under fair use)?

 

[Shangas]

I've seen some websites such as you describe. A lot of the films are very old. They date back to the 1920s, 1930s. I haven't seen any that go beyond the start of WWII.

If they are legitimately on the Public Domain, then they're open for anyone to use. So I would feel no guilt about downloading them. In answer to the main part of your question, I don't think it presents a legal issue. After all, as you say, even if you didn't download it, you could easily record it off of your television using a DVD-recorder, for example. And that's more or less the same thing.

I wouldn't be too flustered about it.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Where is this site?

I suspect after milking them for all they were worth for 75 years in theaters, TV, VCRs, and finally bargain bin or dollar store DVDs they no longer have enough royalty value to be worth worrying about. Besides the artists and businessmen who made them and had a right to make a living off them, are all dead a long time ago.

 

[Matt Crunk]

Where is this site?

I suspect after milking them for all they were worth for 75 years in theaters, TV, VCRs, and finally bargain bin or dollar store DVDs they no longer have enough royalty value to be worth worrying about. Besides the artists and businessmen who made them and had a right to make a living off them, are all dead a long time ago.

Yes, but Ted Turner is still very much alive, and he owns them now. Still, I feel no harm is done if I only download them for my own private use and do not re-post or redistribute them in any way myself. PM me and I'll be glad to share the name of the site.

 

[John in Covina]

My cousin is big on ownloading movies and after working in the film industry and getting screwed on several deals doesn't worry over a lot of the moral questions if he's just watching at home. He calls the site torrent or torrant, i am not sure which way it is spelled. The files are big so you need a fast connection and a ton of space for them. i haven't gone on any of it so i don't know how it works at all.

 

[blakegriplingph]

The torrents you're referring to are actually a protocol called BitTorrent. It isn't some big, humongous site where you get all the (mostly) pirated stuff from, people compile a bunch of files to be shared, and then they make a .torrent file to be posted online, i.e. The Pirate Bay for others to download from you. The more people who download the file at once, the more likely that you'll get it faster.