<div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>Hello Neopalers, </STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>This subject of copyright has to be one of the most germane issues 'outed' on NEOPAL, with</STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG> some of the responses uninformed, some are positively brilliant, and then all the </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>grey spectrum in between. </STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>Ensemble Theatre is a small professional theatre and since 2005, we had considered as </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>a policy to videotape all productions as a matter of archival record. ONE copy only of each </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>of our five (5) mainstage productions annually to be kept by us for educational purposes. Every </STRONG></FONT><FONT
color=#00007f><STRONG>script publishing company we talked with, Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French, Music </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>Theatre International(an exception here) told us LEGALLY speaking that it was prohibited. </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>Period. Stop. End of Story. </STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>On top of that, there is the Actors' Equity Association issue, </STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>mentioned by many of you here, concerning the 'reproduction of an actor's performance,' </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>by any means. . . . .". </STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>We have videotaped SEVERAL of our productions, and have had several slices of 10 min. </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>5 min., or 15 min., made
in order to satisfy the promotional requirements of marketing, </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>along with requests from foundations, granting government agencies, and other individuals- </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>even actors and designers who want a record and who send segments out for job applications and auditions. </STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>The electronic age and its infinite copying capacities are upon us. It is not going to go away </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>anytime soon, and will probably get worse. One of the account reps at DPS told us that </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>the frequencies seen in a show's production will determine their (DPS) vigilance and security concerning ANY sort of recording of the performances. Still cameras are going to be largely ignored as they still constitute the
workhorses for archival, publicity and marketing. But ANYTHING that records continous motion will be scrutinized like a hawk </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>and we have heard pretty much the same story from all the publishing houses. </STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG> I did mention above that MTI (Music Theatre International) told us point blank - QUOTE: </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG> ' If we have ANY reason to believe that the rights of the author are being infringed, musically, dramatic presentation, or otherwise, we will send a rep UNANNOUNCED to the offending theatre and take whatever action accordingly from there.' UNQUOTE. We told MTI when </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>we produced "The Fantasticks" that we did not need the musical scores, as we already
</STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>had the music (which we did) and they told us -' We will send you the music, and you WILL </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>pay the MUSICAL royalty, whether you have the score or not - <EM>or you will not produce the </EM></STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG><EM>play.'</EM> It turned out to be the most expensive play royalty-wise we have ever produced. The theater is a constant learning experience, even when you have been doing it for many years. <BR></STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>MOST of the folks who download whatever material there is available on the Internet, have been led to believe that the Internet is a giant candy store, and they can have as many free samples as they like. Likewise, everyone knows that everyone records performances. </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>Eventually, all the 'sharing' software will become illegal for
copyright material, and digital </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>security signatures will prevent ANY illegal copying without paying a royalty or fee. </STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>Just remember the 'good ole days' when there was NO internet, no videotapes, and </STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>bootleg film recordings and tapings were rampant. NO more. And if you are going to have </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>ANY ethical base for your actions, PAYING for the artists work is the common sense way </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>that will prevail. Read some of Michelangelo's voluminous correspondence to and from </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>his patrons and you will get a 500 year old idea of what copyright was then, is now, and </STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>will continue into the future.
Break your legs - and not your video camera!!</STRONG></FONT></div> <div><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </div> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>Martin Cosentino</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV> <DIV> <DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>General Manager</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>Ensemble Theatre of <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1208309226_4 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Cleveland</SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>****************************************</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>Performing at the <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1208309226_5 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">Cleveland</SPAN> Play House</FONT></STRONG></DIV><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1208309226_6 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1212710015_1 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN
class=yshortcuts id=lw_1213933330_0 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>8500 Euclid Avenue</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>Cleveland, Ohio 44106</FONT></STRONG></DIV></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>****************************************</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>Offices:</FONT></STRONG></DIV><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1208309226_7 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1212710015_2 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1213933330_1 style="BACKGROUND: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed"> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>2490 Lee Blvd., Suite 205</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>Cleveland Heights, OH 44118</FONT></STRONG></DIV></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>(T) <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1208309226_8 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">216-321-2930</SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>(F)<SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1208309226_9 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">216-397-5740</SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>(M) <SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1208309226_10 style="CURSOR: hand; BORDER-BOTTOM: #0066cc 1px dashed">216-509-2411</SPAN></FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>(E) </FONT></STRONG><A href="http://us.f817.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=ensemble-theatre@sbcglobal.net" target=_blank rel=nofollow><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>ensemble-theatre@sbcglobal.net</FONT></STRONG></A></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>*****************************************</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>Visit Ensemble at our website:</FONT></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><A
href="http://www.ensemble-theatre.com/" target=_blank rel=nofollow><SPAN class=yshortcuts id=lw_1208309226_11><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>www.ensemble-theatre.com</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></A></DIV> <DIV><STRONG><FONT color=#00007f>*****************************************</FONT></STRONG></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>