How Do I "Download Movie" From YouTube®?
I was asked by a client if they could "download movie" from YouTube.com®, ‘upres' it, and then show it at a corporate event? I have two simple answers:
- Copyrights/Ownership
- Resolution
1) Copyrights are assigned to a work when it is complete. You don't necessarily need to see the little copyright symbol © for something to be copyrighted. All footage on YouTube® is owned by the people who made the video -- i.e. the videographer or producer-- and it is automatically copyrighted.
The Terms of Use with YouTube® strictly forbids downloading video for personal or commercial use (particularly 4. C & D and 5. A), or even displaying a YouTube.com® video in a commercial setting directly from the website (i.e. at a meeting). And music is another issue...music that is synchronized to imagery often has a separate ‘Synchronization License' but that's a different discussion.
As an alternative to illegally downloading content, contact Opening Moments and we'll negotiate with the owner of the media to license the content for one-time or into perpetuity. We've done this for dozens of motivational videos like "The Human Element", a commercial produced and owned by Dow Chemical.
2) Resolution is the clarity of the image - how clean it looks on a big screen. All the videos on YouTube® have been converted to very low resolution, and they often contain a watermark. When the YouTube® video is shown on a large screen, the fuzziness becomes more noticeable.
Obtaining a licensed copy of the original is always a good idea, and will keep the legal people away. Downloading videos from YouTube® might be easy and accessible (yes, other people do it), yet something to consider is the depth of your pockets for paying the copyright owner if they decide to get even. The addage "it's easier to do it now, and then ask forgiveness" may not fly in copyright violation; it may be a better idea for an organization or corporation to get permission on the front end. Contact us for a free consultation to license any movie clip that you are considering for a corporate event or organization meeting.