3 ms·

Excuse my ignorance: does this mean that anybody can "legally" (for example) torrent-download Metropolis? Or that can be a "free" Netflix-alternative created to

Excuse my ignorance: does this mean that anybody can "legally" (for example) torrent-download Metropolis? Or that can be a "free" Netflix-alternative created today with movies that are part of the public domain? Edit: a lot of answers, thanks! But still, still kinda discussed. It certainly is an interesting topic.

londons_explore 4y ago
Broadly, yes. But there are details you'd want to ask a lawyer about. Things like if you rip one of those movies from a DVD, and that DVD was made more recently, you have to be careful not to include any creative work done more recently - for example an adjusted end credits sequence, coloring, restoration work, or minor re-editing.
- chr-s 4y ago
  You'll often find these old silent movies with a more recently recorded soundtrack which may still be under copyright. For truly free film, I believe you'd need to scan a print of the film. I'd be interested to know of any efforts to obtain and host truly free archival copies of these old films.
roflc0ptic 4y ago
yes, you can now legally torrent metropolis. You can also make derivative works (e.g. you personally could make Metropolis 2: The Reckoning!) without fear of consequence.
niij 4y ago
yes From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain : > Because those rights have expired, anyone can legally use or reference those works without permission.
kmeisthax 4y ago
Yes. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Internet Archive already has torrents of public domain film. There's also Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks for public domain books. Wikimedia Commons has a huge archive of public domain images and sound recordings.
- jonah-archive 4y ago
  We're having a contest to remix public domain material that will be judged at our in-person Public Domain Day party on January 20th! Check it out: http://blog.archive.org/2022/11/30/public-domain-day-2023-remix-contest-the-internet-archive-is-looking-for-creative-short-films-made-by-you/ http://blog.archive.org/2022/11/30/public-domain-day-2023-re...
nightpool 4y ago
Yes and yes (in fact, there are already plenty of websites you can find out there that do that—many of them seem to just be ads-filled scraper sites hotlinking / embedding from archive.org)
m348e912 4y ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BBnMCAIuQg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BBnMCAIuQg It's available on YouTube. I don't think the copyright owners care too much at this point to have it taken down.
bricemo 4y ago
I am also trying to figure out what the average person would do differently with this information. It is cool and good, but I feel like if I wanted to experience any of these I would still go buy on Amazon Prime video or pull it up on Spotify or torrent. Is there a big change in consumer experience?
bobsmooth 4y ago
Not only can you legally download it, you can burn it to disk and sell copies if you wanted to.
- KVFinn 4y ago
  >Not only can you legally download it, you can burn it to disk and sell copies if you wanted to. What about a derivative work? Like if somebody recreated the film Metropolis into a 3D version, scene by scene. Ultimately the same film but using Blender or whatever so every scene is perfect as a 3D movie. Is that new film copyrighted to the person who did this work now?

londons_explore 4y ago

Broadly, yes. But there are details you'd want to ask a lawyer about. Things like if you rip one of those movies from a DVD, and that DVD was made more recently, you have to be careful not to include any creative work done more recently - for example an adjusted end credits sequence, coloring, restoration work, or minor re-editing.

chr-s 4y ago
You'll often find these old silent movies with a more recently recorded soundtrack which may still be under copyright. For truly free film, I believe you'd need to scan a print of the film. I'd be interested to know of any efforts to obtain and host truly free archival copies of these old films.

roflc0ptic 4y ago

yes, you can now legally torrent metropolis. You can also make derivative works (e.g. you personally could make Metropolis 2: The Reckoning!) without fear of consequence.

niij 4y ago

yes From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain : > Because those rights have expired, anyone can legally use or reference those works without permission.

kmeisthax 4y ago

Yes. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Internet Archive already has torrents of public domain film. There's also Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks for public domain books. Wikimedia Commons has a huge archive of public domain images and sound recordings.

jonah-archive 4y ago
We're having a contest to remix public domain material that will be judged at our in-person Public Domain Day party on January 20th! Check it out: http://blog.archive.org/2022/11/30/public-domain-day-2023-remix-contest-the-internet-archive-is-looking-for-creative-short-films-made-by-you/ http://blog.archive.org/2022/11/30/public-domain-day-2023-re...

nightpool 4y ago

Yes and yes (in fact, there are already plenty of websites you can find out there that do that—many of them seem to just be ads-filled scraper sites hotlinking / embedding from archive.org)

m348e912 4y ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BBnMCAIuQg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BBnMCAIuQg It's available on YouTube. I don't think the copyright owners care too much at this point to have it taken down.

bricemo 4y ago

I am also trying to figure out what the average person would do differently with this information. It is cool and good, but I feel like if I wanted to experience any of these I would still go buy on Amazon Prime video or pull it up on Spotify or torrent. Is there a big change in consumer experience?

bobsmooth 4y ago

Not only can you legally download it, you can burn it to disk and sell copies if you wanted to.

KVFinn 4y ago
>Not only can you legally download it, you can burn it to disk and sell copies if you wanted to. What about a derivative work? Like if somebody recreated the film Metropolis into a 3D version, scene by scene. Ultimately the same film but using Blender or whatever so every scene is perfect as a 3D movie. Is that new film copyrighted to the person who did this work now?