Jessica said: One last thing. I have mentioned this before but for whatever it is worth there are a lot of filmmakers and distributors who sincerely believe there is something called "institutional video" and that schools and libraries must pay more than individuals. I actually have one I am dealing with myself and nothing I do including sending a copy of the copyright law will convince him otherwise, because he was told this by another sales rep and this case it is titles widely available through pretty much any standard wholesaler/ retailer.
Susan: I think this is sometimes true. A few months ago, I had a similar experience with someone pretty new to the film distribution world. I ordered a copy of a DVD the very first moment I could get my hands on it, and at that time, what was available was a $30 home-use DVD. I didn't really need PPR and so I didn't worry about it, just bought it. A few MONTHS later, I received an email from someone at the company, which contained an invoice for the "institutional" price, along with commentary similar to what a number of you received in this case. I ended up having a bit of an email exchange and then a very nice phone conversation with the woman, followed by more emails, in which I explained why I didn't think she really had a leg to stand on and in which we discussed tiered pricing, PPR, secondary sellers such as Amazon & Midwest Tape, etc. I had fallen in love with the film [Pelada, btw] and had decided I was willing to pay the difference between the home use and the institutional simply because I supported what these young folks were doing with their project, but I also 'warned' her that she had better be prepared for others she was contacting to NOT be as friendly NOR as willing to pay the cost difference. She had really not been very informed about this stuff and was quite happy to discuss it. I honestly don't know how much trouble she eventually ran into with others. Now, to throw in another wrinkle. When I bought, it was available only from the filmmakers (who really should've had home use & institutional sales prepared to go simultaneously). To my knowledge, the home use was never available through any secondary source. So let's say they had done it right and, from the beginning, had had tiered pricing and were the exclusive distributor. What happens once *aftermarket* sellers begin offering up copies through a site like Amazon? It isn't Amazon directly selling it. Anyone care to take that one on in terms of institutional obligations?? Susan
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
