USC Cinema steals the copyright to USC
student films Who cares? You may if you create an original work
of authorship A Story • Treatment • Script • Short Film
REALITY STARTS HERE on Facebook
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AudioBoo | Copyright theft by American Film Schools -- Copyright theft: AFI
• Hawaii
• USC • pretty much a criminal shakedown going
on for years. -- Copyright protection: Greenberg & Lieberman
protect
your copyright |
USC Copyright Policy
-- has
nothing to do with U.S. Copyright Law
| Universities typically provide for open discussion
and debate. Not on this topic. Not at USC. USC Cinema Copyright Policy 1998
| 1999
| 2001
| 2004 Ethics
| 2005
| 2007
| No revisions: 2008/2009
Copyright protection for authors I am right. USC Cinema is wrong. It's that simple. It's now a matter of articulately telling the story.
You can help with your thoughtful written comments.
2009 • USC School
of Cinematic Arts (USC Cinema) 80th Anniversary
Here is one key use of USC-verbaige, a fraudulent,
deliberate misrepresentation and unlawfully misleading USC Copyright Policy
phrase:
"use of University resources" -- that has nothing to do with U.S.
Copyright Law |
U.S. Copyright Law:
Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States
(Title 17, U.S.
Code) to the authors of "original works of authorship."
USC Cinema ought to teach U.S. Copyright
law to new film students so they lean to protect the Copyright
to their Short Films. Instead USC Cinema takes unfair advantage of the
lack of understanding of their young film students and requires them sign
a USC Policy document that results in the theft of the Copyright to student-produced
Short Films. It ought to stop.
U.S. Copyright Law Folks get tricked in discussing provisions in film
school copyright policy - don't let it happen to you. Film school copyright
policy has nothing to do with U.S. Copyright Law. Most folks know nothing
about U.S. Copyright Law because it does not directly affect their lives.
Typically folks will believe just about anything or anyone that mentions
the word "copyright." It's all just silly stuff when it arrives from a
film school administrator, faculty member, or the vast multitude of inept
expert copyright attorneys who act like they actually have a clue. Here's
where I get what I know about Copyright. It's pretty much the only reliable
source. Use it. Learn from it. Quote from it. Refer to it. Don't present
silly comments and opinions about what film schools say until you learn
some facts about U.S. Copyright Law. Otherwise you're heading for the land
of sillyville. It's like attempting to intelligently discuss the engineering
design of the Space Shuttle (U.S. Copyright Law) and using a rubber ducky
(University copyright policy) as your reference. I get my copyright facts
here:
Copyright.gov |
Here is a simple key to U.S. Copyright Law - protect AUTHORS. - protect an author's original works of authorship
U.S. Copyright Law has absolutely nothing to do with:
- student shielding from slander - student shielding from libel - student shielding from copyright infringement law
suits - students making mistakes - students defending themselves - students choice of what rights to give up - student seeking liability protection - students works that they've worked so hard to create - MFA programs regarding the written word - use of University resources - SAG actors cast in a student film - SAG / Screen Actors Guild agreements - Insurance agreements - University copyright policy at other film schools
(it's like a virus) - University legal opinions from a university law
school team / experts - University legal opinions from university legal
counsel
U.S. Copyright Law / Copyright.gov
-- has to do with protection of authors - original works
of authorship. U.S. Copyright Law is all we need to rid theft by
made-up University copyright policy all across America.
The 2007
USC film school copyright policy document is deceptive fraud and theft. Steven B. Sample, USC President and USC Cinema Dean
Elizabeth Daly are copyright thieves
An unconscionable agreement
This | 2007
| USC Copyright Policy is an unconscionable agreement. Certain artists/authors'
rights are not assignable, not without consideration, and the required
assignment of the USC Cinema students' copyright in and to their Short
Films to USC Cinema is just void.
Required assignment to USC Cinema of the Copyright
to student-produced Short Films: -- "Prior to starting classes, students will be required
to sign a hard copy version of this document."
New USC Cinema film students are presented each semester
with a contract of adhesion, meaning take it or leave it. USC Cinema has
inserted an unconscionable clause into the USC Copyright policy document
(an assignment of Copyright to USC Cinema to student-produced Short Films)
thus, the USC Copyright Policy is not enforceable to the extent it is unconscionable.
If a contract or any provision of a contract is unconscionable at the time
it was made - the entire contract or the unconscionable provisions are
not enforceable.
Unconscionable: not guided
by conscience; unscrupulous • not in accordance with what is just or reasonable
• unreasonably unfair to one party, marked by oppression, or otherwise
unacceptably offensive to public policy • Generally, grave misconduct
by one of the parties is unconscionable, especially if the agreement is
extremely favorable to one party (USC Cinema), the other party (USC Cinema
film student) has a lack of meaningful choice, and the first party takes
advantage of that lack of choice • unscrupulous; not guided by conscience;
excessive; beyond reason • an absence of meaningful choice on the part
of one party • typically one who signs an agreement document without full
knowledge of its provisions might be held to "assume the risk" that he
has entered into a one-sided bargain. But when a party of little bargaining
power and hence little real choice, signs a commercially unreasonable contract
with little or no knowledge of its terms, it is hardly likely that his
consent was ever given to all the provisions. The concept that the terms
of an agreement are not to be questioned should be abandoned and thus it
ought to be considered whether the terms of the contract are so unfair
that enforcement should be withheld.
Adhesion contract: a contract
that heavily restricts one party while leaving the other free • implies
inequality in bargaining power • a contract so heavily restrictive of one
party, while so non-restrictive of another, that doubts arise as to its
representation as a voluntary and uncoerced agreement • implies grave inequality
or bargaining power • often it arises in the context of standard-form printed
contracts prepared by one party and submitted to the other on a "take it
or leave it" basis (such as the USC Copyright Policy document). Often there
is no true equality of bargaining power in such contracts.
Profound Shame Attorneys typically say: "Well, the kid signed the
document. It's a written contract. That's it. If you don't want to sign
the document, the remedy is to go to another film school." Okay. Imagine
one new USC Cinema film student. Now think of dozens of USC film students.
Semester after semester. Year after year since 1929 at USC Cinema. That's
despicable conduct by USC -- they are thieves, they have no ethics: look
here.
As I see it the 2007
USC Cinema Policy document is so despicable as to rouse moral indignation,
it's mean and unjust, brutal. It's deceptive fraud and an on-going systematic
copyright theft scheme concocted to mislead, take unfair advantage, with
the intent to permanently deprive the new film student of their rightful
possession of their intellectual property and deprive them the use of their
own short films. USC Cinema seeks to steal the intellectual property away
from new, young film students who typically know nothing of U.S. Copyright
law. USC ought to be profoundly ashamed of themselves. I intend to do all
I can to see that shame thrust upon the University through this CopyrightUSC
website, media reports and related efforts to get USC to change its unlawful
ways.
CopyrightUSC is not seeking a legal action against USC. We're seeking to tell the story: legal commentaries,
news reports, etc. You can help: write up your thoughtful comments and
send them along to us.
DGA - Directors
Guild of America |
• Article
1, Section 8 • Title
17, U.S. Code •
AUDIO
RECORDING 2:05 min. JOHN LONGENECKER, DGA Copyright USC • USC Cinema Alumni member Directors Guild support for Copyright Protection:
DGA: So fundamental is the right to intellectual
property and the protection of those who create it that it is the only
"right" our Founding Fathers specifically enshrined in the United States
Constitution.
2009 • USC School
of Cinematic Arts (USC Cinema) 80th Anniversary Copyright USC: Story • Treatment • Scripts • Student-Produced
Short Films
JOHN LONGENECKER, DGA • 800 470-4602 learn more: CopyrightUSC.com
| email: info@CopyrightUSC.com
|
What's this all about? USC Cinema steals the Copyright away from a fresh
batch of cinema students each semester by deceptive fraud and theft. It's
unlawful conduct by USC. It's not right. USC Cinema students ought to learn
and understand something about U.S. Copyright Law with respect to
their own Story Rights.
USC Cinema students ought to register their original works for Copyright:
Story • Treatment • Script • Short Films
How does USC Cinema steal the Copyright
to student-produced short films? USC Cinema requires each new, fresh, young, unknowing
USC Cinema student to sign a "policy" document. The 2007
USC Copyright policy document is simply a bunch of meaningless verbiage
that seeks to give an impression of plausibility through misdirection,
obfuscation, misleading, deceptive, fraudulent assertions and false statements.
USC legal counsel lacks the copyright law experience and understanding
-- or ethics -- necessary for proper use of U.S. Copyright Law provisions.
The policy document is deceptive fraud and theft. It's unlawful. On student-produced
short films USC Cinema typically seeks production
company credit as well. USC Cinema thinks they make short films. They
do not. Cinema students make short films at USC. USC Cinema certainly did
not produce my short film. There were just four of us who made my senior
480 project "Broncho
Billy" (1970).
Speak Truth To Power I am delighted for the opportunity here to speak so
harshly to the silly USC Administrators whose irrational conduct regarding
the theft of copyright of student-produced short films shows such willing
eagerness to crush the USC Code of Ethics.
Why am I willing to speak so harshly? I speak so harshly because
I have read the brutal USC Cinema Copyright Policies of 1998
| 1999
| 2001
| 2004 Ethics
| 2005
| 2007 | These
USC folks are unlawful nuts!
Our Goals 1. USC Cinema to teach U.S. Copyright Law so film
students learn to protect their Copyright 2. Short Film copyright to be owned by USC film students.
USC Cinema to never again seek Copyright ownership of student-produced
Short Films.
USC Cinema theft of student short
film Copyright investigation - contacts:
1. JOHN
LONGENECKER, DGA USC Cinema Alumni member Copyright USC: CopyrightUSC.com
• Ask me questions email: info@CopyrightUSC.com
| 800 470-4602 2. JOHN ZOLLINGER - USC Cinema Public
Relations guy USC School of Cinematic Arts Office
of Communications | email: jzollinger@cinema.usc.edu
| 213-740-9514
"USC legal counsel (Stephen
Yamaguchi) is comfortable with the USC Cinema Copyright Policy" - JL to John Zollinger PDF
file | - contact John Zollinger to learn more about the USC
position * Ask him questions
3. Stephen
Yamaguchi, University Counsel at the USC Office of General Council
(OGC) asserts that based on
"use of University resources"
USC has a claim to copyright ownership of student-produced
short films. Well, that's nuts! Nothing to do with U.S. Copyright Law!
Yamaguchi arrived at USC in 1999. This legal counsel guy may have offered
a lot of crazy, misguided, unlawful legal input on the USC Cinema Copyright
Policy documents of 1999
| 2001
| 2005
| 2007
| leading to the deceptive fraud and theft of the Copyright of student
original works. I'll bet it was this guy. Ask him questions. email: syamaguc@usc.edu
• (213) 740-7922
USC Cinema
Copyright Policy Fraud: intentional deception resulting in injury to
another. Fraud embraces all the multifarious means which human ingenuity
can devise to get an advantage over another. It includes all surprise,
trick, cunning, dissembling and unfair ways to which another is cheated.
In equity it [is enough] to show facts and circumstances from which it
may be presumed (425 P 2s 974, 978). Deceit: fraudulent representation;
a false representation of a material fact made with knowledge of its falsity,
or recklessly, or without reasonable grounds for believing its truth, and
with the intent to induce reliance there on which a person justifiably
relies on his injury (300 P. 2nd 14,16).
Dissembling: to disguise or conceal behind a false appearance.
2. To make a false show of; To disguise or conceal one's real nature, or
motives... behind a false appearance.
REALITY STARTS HERE: Audio Recording
|
copyright.gov
•
REALITY STARTS
HERE
REALITY STARTS HERE - Audio
Recording
AUDIO
RECORDING 16:00 min. JOHN LONGENECKER, DGA USC Cinema Alumni member USC Cinema Copyright Policy 2007
| U.S. Copyright Law: Story • Treatment • Script • Short
Films • learn more: Copyright.gov |
Copyright Author: Lifetime + 70 years Corporate Work for Hire: 95 years from publication
• 120 years from creation • whichever is shorter
How would USC Cinema register a work at the U.S. Copyright
Office? They are not an Author. A student-produced short film
is not a work for hire. So, USC Cinema typically does not register works for
Copyright. BRONCHO BILLY was not registered for Copyright by
USC Cinema in 1970. Search the copyright office database for USC Cinema
- nothing. Mandatory USC policy documents. As I see it, it's
all a scam. A bluff. Not real. No legal teeth.
A Short Film Story When you have moment take a look at the short film
THX
1138 4EB. A high level of control is exerted upon the populace
through omnipresent, faceless, android police. In the end the police pursue
THX up an escape ladder, but are ordered by central command to cease pursuit
at mere steps away from capturing him, as the expense of his capture exceeds
their pre-determined budget. THX climbs out of the ground and stands before
a magnified setting sun in a red sky, birds intermittently fly overhead,
indicating that life is possible on the surface.
The citizens are warned not to exit the underground
city through the door to the surface, which allegedly leads to death --
in truth, the exit leads to their freedom.
U.S. Copyright Law vs. USC Copyright Policy My advise to you: If you climb up out the USC Cinema
copyright underground hole of fraudulent policy utterances from inept university
legal counsel and silly and corrupt administrators, in truth you will arrive
on the surface where U.S. Copyright Law will show you that it's all right
to register your work for copyright -- your Story • Treatment • Script
• Short Films -- your original works of authorship as an Author. Learn
more: Copyright.gov |
Kick sleeping dogs awake.
The USC Cinema Copyright Bluff: USC Cinema typically does not register works with
the U.S. Copyright Office. They are not an Author. Student-Produced Short
Films are not a work for hire. How would USC Cinema register a short film?
Copyright Registration costs $45. It's all a bluff. Pay no attention to
that man behind the curtain.
REALITY STARTS
HERE
Our USC Cinema
Copyright Campaign 2009
USC Cinema 80th Anniversary eighty years of deceptive fraud & theft by USC
Cinema seeking to own the Copyright to student-produced Short Films
Our Goals for the 2009 USC Cinema
80th Anniversary USC - The University of Southern California USC School
of Cinematic Arts (USC Cinema)
1. USC Cinema to teach U.S. Copyright Law so film students
learn to protect their Copyright
2. Short Film copyright to be owned by USC Cinema film
students. USC Cinema to never again seek Copyright ownership
to student-produced Short Films
LEGAL ACTION - Do you know any USC Cinema students who
have family members who are attorneys? MEDIA PROJECT - Do you know any USC Cinema students
who have contacts with journalists / reporters?
Copyright USC Project USC film students ought to own the Copyright to their
Short Films As it is now, USC claims to own the Copyright to student
films and requires film students to sign a consent / copyright transfer
form before starting classes.
USC Cinema ought to teach something about U.S. Copyright
Law as part of the on-going curriculum in an effort to help students learn
to register their woks with the U.S. Copyright Office and protect their
Copyright to their original works of authorship: Story • Treatment • Script
• Short Films.
Short Film Copyright video clip: QuickTime
7 | Windows
Media | on YouTube
| Vimeo |
2004
USC Code Of Ethics --
USC Board of Trustees 2004
Code of Ethics -
You Are The Author Student-Produced Short Films at USC Cinema USC Cinema cannot own the copyright to your Short
Films. Period. End of topic. It's unlawful.
USC Copyright Policy Substantial use of USC Cinema resources - means nothing Use of USC Cinema funds - means nothing Use of USC Cinema equipment - means nothing Use of the USC Cinema Screen Actors Guild Agreement
- means nothing Use of the USC Cinema Errors & Omissions Insurance
Agreements - means nothing
U.S. Copyright Law is about authors - authorship An original work of authorship • Story • Treatment
• Script • Short Films
2007 USC Cinema Copyright
Policy • "Prior to starting classes, student will be required
to sign a hard copy version of this document" • That is deceptive fraud and theft. That is unlawful. • That is how USC Cinema unlawfully steals your copyright
- your signature on a document copy. • Do not sign that 2007
USC Cinema Policy document.
Required To Sign But, you are required to sign the document prior to
starting USC Cinema classes. They are thieves! The whole bunch of them. Steven B. Sample, Elizabeth Daly all the way down
through the accomplished faculty. All thieves. Authoritarian, willful, unlawful thieves. Pathetic
big shots guilty of fraudulent despicable conduct. USC Cinema breaks the rules of U.S. Copyright Law.
Our Goals 1. USC Cinema to teach U.S. Copyright Law so film
students learn to protect their Copyright 2. Short Film copyright to be owned by USC film students.
USC Cinema to never again seek Copyright ownership of student-produced
Short Films.
REALITY STARTS
HERE This REALITY STARTS HERE Copyright USC project seeks
to shine a light on USC Administrators as the very academically accomplished
thieves that they are stretching back to 1929 in an on-going pattern of
willful and unlawful wrongdoing - the deceptive fraud and theft of copyright
to 100s and 100s of Short Films who's authors are USC Cinema film students.
The Copyright related conduct of USC Administrators is unlawful. Their
conduct with respect to USC Cinema film students violates the Copyright
provision set in the U.S. Constitution and goes against U.S. Copyright
Laws drafted by the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, passed by U.S.
Congress as Federal Law and signed by the President of the United States
of America.
USC Cinema breaks the rules. That's unlawful conduct.
It's deceptive fraud and theft of student's Copyright.
REALITY STARTS HERE means that the fantasy of the University
of Southern California having any right to own the Copyright to student-produced
Short Films shall end.
USC Administrators fantasize that REALITY ENDS HERE.
No, it does not. The REALITY of U.S. Copyright Law supersedes their thieving
schemes and desires.
JL comments on USC Cinema copyright recent arguments: U.S. Copyright law has NO Provisions exempting Screen
Actors Guild agreements. U.S. Copyright law has NO Provision exempting Errors
& Omission insurance agreements. The Screen Actors Guild is simply in collusion with
USC Cinema as a coconspirator of deceptive fraud & theft. U.S. Copyright Law for Short Films is simply all about
AUTHORSHIP. Original Works of Authorship. Nothing can take away Copyright ownership of an author
- except a transfer document signed by the author. So, do not sign the USC Copyright Policy document.
That policy document is a deceptive fraud.
USC Administrator Culprits Here is a recent USC Cinema 80th Anniversary list
of leading USC Administrator culprits.
REALITY STARTS HERE USC culprits: Steven B. Sample - President / University of Southern
California Elizabeth Daly - Dean / USC School of Cinematic Arts
(SCA) see USC Code of Ethics
2004
WHY do this? USC pretty much never registers
student-produced short films with the U.S. Copyright Office. Not even my
1970
Oscar winner. Once registered at the U.S. Copyright Office, show a
copy of your Short Film DVD to faculty members and inform USC Cinema folks
in writing that you registered your work -- story - treatment - script
- Short Film - for Copyright under your name as Author and copyright claimant.
USC Cinema folks will be wonderfully perturbed. Their legal team may decide
to bring a legal action in Federal Court. If they foolishly do, they will
be perceived in the media as the despicable thieves that they are, and
what will be even more fun is that they will also loose in Federal Court
at each step of the way because what they do is unlawful, thus, they may
get to pay all your legal defense costs. If they appeal -- they will loose
at each step. Appeals court decisions in your favor will become precedent
and will end the unconscionable practice of schools, colleges and universities
stealing the Copyright to the original works of authorship of students
all across America. Good for you. Well done.
My film crew and I own the Copyright to my 1970
student-produced short film made at USC Cinema while I attended 480 classes.
You ought to own the copyright to your original works of authorship. Ask
me questions, I can help - 800 470-4602.
2009/2010 USC Film Students As we see it, don't sign away
your Copyright to your future Short Films to USC I'd say don't sign the 2007
| consent for document. Here's a few Copyright USC videos
|
You may be willing to help us get
the word out to USC film students. Contact us - send your comments
and inquiries here: JL.Company@mac.com
|
I didn't go to law school. I am not an attorney. But,
I own the copyright to Broncho
Billy. Contact me about Story
Rights, Copyright and intellectual property anytime. JOHN LONGENECKER, DGA USC Cinema Alumni member - 800 470-4602
Here is where you can find all the answers: U.S. Copyright Office: Copyright.gov
|
Your Short Films - Hang On To Your Copyright Learn something about Copyright - it's good for you Home | Directory
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JOHN LONGENECKER, DGA USC Cinema Alumni member 800 470-4602 site: RealityStartsHere.org
| CopyrightUSC.com
| email: info@CopyrightUSC.com
|
