Website with laws/legal advice? at DVinfo.net

Jason Gatti · February 9th, 2004, 08:38 PM

I know this forum has a great deal of information to offer. At times it is opionion and other experience also some say it is law and is fact. I am not going to dispute anything I've read, nor doubt it. I am wondering however if anyone knows of a web site that has legal information and laws regarding filming, privacy laws, copyright and any other questions people may have regarding filming. Thanks in advance, I'm sure I'll get a number of answer's. Everyone seem's very knowledgable on this site.

Don Bloom · February 11th, 2004, 10:28 AM

Jason,
We are fortunate to have a number of knowledgable people here including Paul Tauger who just happens to be an Intellectual Property Lawyer and has written many many posts about some of the things you are looking to get info on. He's not writing legal opinion only stating the laws as they are written.

Search on Pauls name and have a large pot of coffee ready, clean your glasses and enjoy reading.

WARNING::::::if you try to read them all in one sitting and try to understand it all, your eyes may very well start to bleed and/or you will begin to babble. Believe me, I've done it :-)

Have fun,
Don

Peter Moore · February 11th, 2004, 04:05 PM

"I am wondering however if anyone knows of a web site that has legal information and laws regarding filming, privacy laws, copyright and any other questions people may have regarding filming."

Would you perform open heart surgery on someone based on information you got off of a website? Then don't get legal advice off a website either - the consequences can be almost as bad if it goes awry. Except for Paul, of course, don't trust advice from anyone you aren't paying, and never, EVER trust advice from a source other than an interactive human being who is licensed.

Jason Gatti · February 11th, 2004, 04:32 PM

Peter, I was hoping there was a goverment type site. You know like local and Federal? Not just some yahoo who is in law school trying to impress people. I do see what you are saying though, and agree.

Peter Moore · February 11th, 2004, 08:34 PM

Oh I see, in that case www.copyright.gov is a good place to start. But again, be very wary of coming to conclusions cause the stuff can get very complicated.

Ken Tanaka · February 11th, 2004, 08:41 PM

Try the Nolo Press.

Dylan Couper · February 11th, 2004, 11:37 PM

We have several lawyers here, some don't advertise as much as Paul Tauger does (j/k Paul :)
If anyone else here wants to make their legal backgrounds known (again for some of you), now would be a fine time.

Paul Tauger · February 11th, 2004, 11:42 PM

Quote:

I was hoping there was a goverment type site. You know like local and Federal? Not just some yahoo who is in law school trying to impress people.

Hi, Jason. The yahoo, here.

First, the government doesn't give legal advice. The Copyright Office doesn't give legal advice. The United States Patent and Trademark Office doesn't give legal advice. Law students don't give legal advice. None of them are allowed to -- that's the law.

Only one species of yahoo gets to give legal advice -- those with a license to practice law, which is to say, yahoos like me.

I've been practicing as an intellectual property lawyer for 12 years. I'm admitted to practice before all the courts in California, as well as all four California United States District Courts. I'm also admitted to practice before the 9th and 11th Circuit Courts of Appeal and the United States Supreme Court. I'm a partner in the Intellectual Property Department of a national law firm (you can do a google search to find out which one if you're interested -- I won't mention them here because I don't speak for them when I post at dvinfo.net), where my practice is intellectual property litigation (copyright and trademark) and licensing. Now, it's true that my practice doesn't involve the film industry (at least not anymore), but I know a couple of things about the applicable laws.

Now, I tell you this, not because I want you to be impressed, but only so that you'll understand that, as good as the internet may be, it's not the be-all and end-all for specialized knowledge.

I hang around here because my hobby is travel videography, and I've learned more from the professionals who post here then I could ever have learned from reading the many websites out there about video production. In exchange for everything I've been given here, I try to give a little back by sharing my expertise, sort of a quid pro quo kind of thing.

So, I hope you'll contribute here, and I'm happy to answer any questions of yours that I can.

Peter Moore · February 12th, 2004, 07:56 AM

Well Dylan, I'm not nearly as experienced as Paul, and I'm only admitted in one set of courts :), but I know enough to tell people not to get legal advice from websites, and that's pretty much the only advice I feel comfortable giving on an Internet forum. :)

Of course if anyone wants to have academic discussions about IP law, I'm game. Having just finished law school last year I love getting into pointless intellectual debates. :)

February 9th, 2004, 08:38 PM	#1
Jason Gatti Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 48	Website with laws/legal advice? I know this forum has a great deal of information to offer. At times it is opionion and other experience also some say it is law and is fact. I am not going to dispute anything I've read, nor doubt it. I am wondering however if anyone knows of a web site that has legal information and laws regarding filming, privacy laws, copyright and any other questions people may have regarding filming. Thanks in advance, I'm sure I'll get a number of answer's. Everyone seem's very knowledgable on this site.

February 11th, 2004, 08:41 PM	#6
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	Try the Nolo Press. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

February 11th, 2004, 11:37 PM	#7
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	We have several lawyers here, some don't advertise as much as Paul Tauger does (j/k Paul :) If anyone else here wants to make their legal backgrounds known (again for some of you), now would be a fine time. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

February 11th, 2004, 10:28 AM	#2
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Jason, We are fortunate to have a number of knowledgable people here including Paul Tauger who just happens to be an Intellectual Property Lawyer and has written many many posts about some of the things you are looking to get info on. He's not writing legal opinion only stating the laws as they are written. Search on Pauls name and have a large pot of coffee ready, clean your glasses and enjoy reading. WARNING::::::if you try to read them all in one sitting and try to understand it all, your eyes may very well start to bleed and/or you will begin to babble. Believe me, I've done it :-) Have fun, Don

February 11th, 2004, 04:05 PM	#3
Peter Moore Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Arlington VA Posts: 1,034	"I am wondering however if anyone knows of a web site that has legal information and laws regarding filming, privacy laws, copyright and any other questions people may have regarding filming." Would you perform open heart surgery on someone based on information you got off of a website? Then don't get legal advice off a website either - the consequences can be almost as bad if it goes awry. Except for Paul, of course, don't trust advice from anyone you aren't paying, and never, EVER trust advice from a source other than an interactive human being who is licensed.

February 11th, 2004, 04:32 PM	#4
Jason Gatti Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 48	Peter, I was hoping there was a goverment type site. You know like local and Federal? Not just some yahoo who is in law school trying to impress people. I do see what you are saying though, and agree.

February 11th, 2004, 08:34 PM	#5
Peter Moore Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Arlington VA Posts: 1,034	Oh I see, in that case www.copyright.gov is a good place to start. But again, be very wary of coming to conclusions cause the stuff can get very complicated.

February 12th, 2004, 07:56 AM	#9
Peter Moore Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Arlington VA Posts: 1,034	Well Dylan, I'm not nearly as experienced as Paul, and I'm only admitted in one set of courts :), but I know enough to tell people not to get legal advice from websites, and that's pretty much the only advice I feel comfortable giving on an Internet forum. :) Of course if anyone wants to have academic discussions about IP law, I'm game. Having just finished law school last year I love getting into pointless intellectual debates. :)