New USC Cinema Copyright Policy
Supporters - Visitor Comments & Inquires
Let us know if you want film students to hang on to the Copyright to their work

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Your Comments can be posted here on this page.
Send your comments and inquires by email to: info@CopyrightUSC.com |

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2008

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July 2008

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John,
magine if an art or writing program
at a school tried this shit!
There’d be riots.

James H

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Hi John,

It seems USC are acknowledging the fact that they don’t own the underlying rights (scripts, etc.) to the films that are produced using their funds & facilities, giving the original authors freedom to exploit their copyrights as they see fit.

What I don’t understand is how they could claim ownership to the copyright to the student-produced projects without it being a “work-made-for-hire.” Don’t the student’s fees/tuitions partially pay for the schools funds and facilities that are being used?

I know employers can make claim to something an employee creates/invents during their employment, but students at USC are not employees.

I suppose if it is a requirement that the students relinquish copyright to their films in exchange for use of USC funds and facilities, and then the students use said funds & facilities, then they have agreed to those terms.

Interesting stuff, but I agree that USC should be teaching copyright law as part of their curriculum.

Regards,

Mark

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2007

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March 2007

Well, I think this is exactly right. I have never understood the rationale for a film school taking over a student film as their own property. It's like the ultimate Hollywood bad deal before you have ever matriculated into the bad deals of Hollywood. Plus, if anyone were ever to take it court it probably is illegal for the school to usurp all this property and call it their own. It's a very corporate, not scholastic approach to their students which is a shame.
Rob Durbin - St. Louis