Law Commons^™

Fair Use And Home Videotape Copying Of Television Broadcasts, James E. Reed

Seattle University Law Review

This comment discusses home videotape recording under both the 1909 Copyright Act and the new copyright law which becomes effective January 1, 1978. Because home videotaping violates the copyright holder's exclusive rights to transcribe or copy the copyrighted program, the comment focuses on the application of the fair use doctrine to home recording of television programs. If home videotape recording is not a fair use, individuals recording copyrighted television programs are liable for copyright infringement; yet, because private copying is difficult to detect, it may be impossible for copyright holders to protect themselves from this private copying. The comment, therefore, …