I've always stated that many movie review sites with articles do SCREENCAPS, especially of DVD since they are not only reviewing the movie, but also the DVD itself (Menus, easter eggs, Special features, Extras, Subtitling, sound quality, etc.) IMFDB falls into the same category with 'legally acquired' DVDs and other media when we do screenshots of films and shows.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
Exemptions updated on July 2010:
Quote:
(17 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(1)) Motion pictures on DVDs that are lawfully made and acquired and that are protected by the Content Scrambling System when circumvention is accomplished solely in order to accomplish the incorporation of short portions of motion pictures into new works for the purpose of criticism or comment
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Note that the DVDs must be lawfully made (i.e. OEM not a bootleg) and acquired (i.e. purchased or rented or paid to be streamed ... NOT BOOTLEG). Screenshots are 'short portions of the product' that are being used for the purpose of Criticism or comment (which is the clause exercised regularly by Movie Critic/Review sites and DVD review sites).
Specific Exemptions are also for EDUCATIONAL purposes and either documentary or noncommercial videos.
- Educational uses by college and university professors and by college and university film and media studies students
- Documentary filmmaking
- Noncommercial videos (added on July 2010)
Remember that we are an educational site. We are not only providing historical Cinematic trivia which may be lost to the ages, but we're a reference guide for movie and gun buffs world wide.
So the next time any member wonders if our screenshots are legal, remember this post.