Video & The Law

Legal Video Guide – Learn tips for important legal issues with online video for commercial use. Here we offer news and insights into copyright infringement, fair use, trademark, right of publicity, right of privacy, defamation, trade secrets, waivers and releases – and how all of this relates to web video and digital media. Here you will find trends, tips, and insights with real attorneys and legal professionals in internet and new media law, intellectual property law, entertainment law.

How to License Music for Your Videos

You want to use a copyrighted song in your video. When do you need permission to use a song? How do you go about doing getting a license to use it? Luckily, there is a process you can go through and it doesn't have to be painful.

Google's New VP9 Codec: Better Video at Half the Bandwidth?

Google wants their new VP9 codec to be royalty-free, but patent disputes could prevent that from happening. Meanwhile, VP9 is supposed to have double the image quality using half the compression of H.264. In other news: H.264 could be H.265 soon, so there's that.

Ray William Johnson Throws Down Gauntlet to Maker Studios

Ray William Johnson left Maker Studios back in October 2012, and then...things got ugly. Johnson is claiming that Maker Studios is holding his AdSense account and won't give it back. And now that the original contract has expired, he says he still hasn't gotten it. RWJ to Maker: Lawyer up.

Should You Disclose Your Real Identity on YouTube? Pros, Cons, and Tips

Google and YouTube have been pushing their users harder for full identity disclosure, but do you really know what you stand to gain, and lose? Before you commit to giving out your real identity across your YouTube and Google+ accounts, weigh the pros versus the cons with this list I’ve put together, and then decide for yourself if it’s really in your best interest, not just Google’s.

How to Copyright Your Video Content Online & Protect Ownership [Creator's Tip #65]

Being that most of us are career marketers or video professionals, copyright protection, ownership, trademarks, fair-use and other legal matters that relate to the internet can be a bit confusing to understand.  How should one go about copyright protecting video content for the web?  How ...

How to Appeal A Misidentified or Improperly Claimed Video: When YouTube Content ID Goes Rogue

It seems like it takes YouTube eons before they address an issue that is near and dear to the hearts of creators.  We shout into an interminable vacuum and get no response, we don't think they care.  They are way too busy always changing the ...

Without My Consent – How Video Professionals Can Avoid Online Privacy Violations

How would you feel if someone posted an online video of you or a loved one in a private situation for the whole world to see? It’s scary how much video is being posted online that doesn't respect the privacy rights of others, including from ...

Feds Looking into Cable Company Anti-Trust Actions Toward Online Video

Hell yeah! If you've been a long-time reader, you know I'm no fan of the cable companies. Their outdated, dinosaur-like companies are holding back video entertainment in a variety of ways if you ask me. Every once in awhile one will make some move that ...

SOPA And PIPA Get A Beat-Down: An Online Video Series

Today the main sponsor of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill announced it is being shelved. The bill had triggered fierce nationwide protests, website blackouts, and the pullback of Congressional support. Here's a video series just from the past couple days of some of ...

Vimeo Fights SOPA, Supports OPEN Act To Curtail Online Video Piracy

I interviewed Senior Counsel for Vimeo, Michael Cheah, who shares his thoughts about why The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Vimeo is running messages on January 18th (today) highlighting the issue and will invite users to tell Congress to reject SOPA. 

Blip.TV Founder Says SOPA And PIPA Threaten All Online Video Platforms

I interviewed the founder of the Blip.TV, Charles Hope, who shares his thoughts about why The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is extremely bad for online video platforms and their users, and explains what's really needed is not new laws, but better business innovation.

SOPA And PIPA May Cripple The Web Video Ecosystem, Unless We Fight It

I interview entertainment and new media attorney Gordon Firemark for a guide on two controversial bills in Congress and the top online video crisis of 2012 – the Protect IP Act (PIPA) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which are threating to censor our ...

Parody Videos In Online Marketing – Fair Use Or Illegal?

In our continued "Is That Legal" video series, I have entertainment law attorney and friend-of-ReelSEO, Gordon Firemark, answer a fan's question about making parody videos of professional wrestling for their own marketing activities. 

How to Get Legal Permission For Shooting Video: The Orabrush YouTube Marketing Story – Part 4 of 4

In this finale segment on the Orabrush YouTube marketing story, I again interviewed Orabrush CMO Jeff Harmon to talk about how his company has managed to get legally-binding permissions for shooting people and locations featured in their YouTube videos, without it slowing down your production ...

The End of Fair Use on YouTube? - The Reel Web #11

I'm traveling out of town this weekend, so we're doing this week's look at the Reel Web a bit differently: we're doing it vlog style! I quickly look at a couple stories that stand out to me and share them with you guys in a ...