Copyright Laws -- "Berne Act"

[jleonard54]

I was searching Amazon.com for a TV series on DVD, which apparently has not been released yet. A link from the Amazon page brought up a site selling "home made" DVDs from various TV series that are currently unreleased.
I don't imagine this is a legal thing to do, although the web site claims:

"There is a section of the American copyright law known as "The Berne Act" that Clearly states: films unreleased in the United States,
including original versions of films altered and/or edited for release in the United
States, are NOT protected by American copyright; thus, they are considered public domain. The entire purpose of our website is to provide otherwise unavailable films or television shows to the serious collector."

So I am hesitant to make the purchase, but would like to appeal to the greater knowledge of visitors to the JREF forum. Is anyone familiar with the copyright laws to inform me on the legality of this issue.

Thanks for your help,
jleonard54

 

[skoob]

Welcome.

No. Under the Berne Convention^WP, which the US signed in 1989, copyright is automatic for creative works in all countries that have signed the convention. The only exception would be for works created in Iran and a few other countries that haven't signed the Berne Convention or similar international copyright treaties. Whether the work is released or not doesn't make any difference as far as copyright law is concerned.

Oh, and IANAL.

 

[fuelair]

I'll put this gently: basically I support copyright - but if something has been released anywhere and is not released in the US (so I can get it) I really do not care and have been known to buy it or provide if I can do so (I was a VERY early provider of otherwise unavailable adult anime as well as certain unreleased films caught up in copyright arguments - no need to do that now!) If the show is current, it likely will be legitimately released, if older, it may or may not. Just as one example, I will obtain When Things were rotten and Quark regardless of source - but I would prefer a legal one. It's up to the idiots who hold the copyrights and aren't putting out the shows.