On Sun, 1 Oct 1995, C h a e wrote:

> 	Actually, it is illegal.  And it depends on what sort of license 
> you get when you purchase the tape.  You are _not_ in any way or means 
> purchasing a part share of a film (like 1 millionth undivided equal share 
> if 1 million tapes are sold) when you buy a videotape film.  You are in 
> fact buying a tape (as opposed to a movie) and a limited license to enjoy 
> its content.  So depending on how the license is worded, you may not have 
> to right to make a backup copy just in case your VCR eats your original.
> The original copyright holder reserves _all_ rights.

That is correct. I highly doubt that you are allowed to make "backups" of 
videotapes.

At the 1995 Anime Expo JAILED panel, Matt Greenfield of A.D. Vision said 
that you're allowed to make a single backup of a videotape. However, his 
statement was incorrect, and John O'Donnell of Central Park Media stated 
flat out that making "backups" only applied to computer software.

______________________________________________________________________________
                                John Chennavasin
                            chennav@haas.berkeley.edu
                        http://haas.berkeley.edu/~chennav