Q: Is downloading vintage films for personal use and donating to studios okay?
I'm building a vintage TV/film library on Plex for personal use only - not selling or redistributing. Many old titles on DVDs are hard to find, out of print, bootlegged, price-gouged, or have damage due to use. Instead of paying exhorbitant prices to bootleggers or those who have no doubt copied and are reselling, YouTube and Internet Archive have many of the titles. Downloading from those for personal use only, but then donating directly to the production studio (e.g. Warner Bros), ensures paying for the title while not supporting the bootleggers and price-gouger DVD resellers. It also guarantees files that aren't damaged. In addition, this method works because it doesn't preclude profit from the studio because they don't receive profits from secondhand DVD sales anyway. What do you think of this approach?
Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
- (916) 704-3009
- View Profile
- Answered
A:
Your intentions here are clearly good—you're trying to respect copyright holders by donating directly to studios instead of paying inflated prices to bootleggers. It's admirable that you're supporting the creators, especially given that secondhand or out-of-print DVD sales don't financially benefit studios anyway.
However, downloading films—even vintage ones—from platforms like YouTube or the Internet Archive could still legally fall into a gray area, even if for personal use. Copyright law typically protects studios' exclusive rights to distribute their work, meaning the source you use to acquire content matters. YouTube uploads and Internet Archive content might not always be officially licensed, potentially placing your actions in questionable legal territory, regardless of your subsequent donations.
The safest, most ethical approach would be to verify the legitimacy of the uploads or to seek legal alternatives provided by studios themselves or licensed streaming services. If these options aren't feasible, your practice of donating directly to the production companies does help mitigate ethical concerns by supporting creators directly. Still, you should proceed cautiously and consider reaching out directly to studios or rights-holders to confirm your approach aligns with their policies.
1 user found this answer helpful
Justia Ask A Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get free answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask A Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between Justia and you, or between any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions and you, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask A Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
