C-SPAN has changed their copyright for most of their videos to a creative commons type license. You can read about the change in the C-SPAN press release. At the bottom of their main page, there is a link to their copyright policy.
C-SPAN’s RSS feeds and audio/video files are made available free of charge for use by individuals for personal, non-commercial uses, but they are still fully protected by copyright.
Except as specifically permitted by this policy, C-SPAN’s RSS feeds and audio/video files may not be used for any political, commercial or otherwise unauthorized purpose. Any posting, retransmission, sale, public performance or other unauthorized duplication of the audio/video files is strictly prohibited.
One thing I noticed is that they don’t allow you to use the content for “political” purposes. That’s a rather strange restriction. Why else would I want to use political videos if not for political purposes. I assume this doesn’t include parody, but it is an unnecessary restriction that could ensnare bloggers and artists. In fact, it seems to go against the very reason they proclaim in their press release:
“As technology advances, we want to continue to be a leader in providing citizens with the tools to be active participants in the democratic process.
Wouldn’t letting people use your content for political purposes help them become active participants, and not just viewers and consumers?
“Wouldn’t letting people use your content for political purposes help them become active participants, and not just viewers and consumers?”
Interesting concept, but it would depend on how it is used. In a political context, content is used by those already active, and is used in a way that promotes the user’s political agenda (not necessarily a bad thing). But how much is the content stretched, reshaped, and “remixed”? And despite disclaimers, what effect would C-SPAN’s content’s association with that political view shape or reshape others’ opinion about C-SPAN (or the converse, lend legitimacy to the political user by piggy-backing on the reputation of C-SPAN)?
Copyright *does* allow the creator to protect their name and reputation by restricting how their work will be used, and by whom. And this is not a bad thing.