AMV Commissions

Katrina · Post by **Katrina** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 4:12 pm

I wanted to know everyone's opinion on this - I am considering taking AMV commissions.

This is what the page looks like:
http://www.katrinasforest.com/anime/AMVComissions.html

How legal is this? My argument is that since I'm doing a video editing service, it's perfectly legal, but then again, this isn't someone's home movies we're taking about editing here either.

I'm also in debate of what's considered a fair price. I have the listed price as $50, including US shipping, purchasing of a video tape, ect. Is this too much? Not enough? (I'm guessing it will take me about 15 hours to go from an outline to a completed video.) For anyone reading this message who might be interested in requesting a submission, how much would you pay to have an AMV made for you (assuming you outlined it yourself)?

Thanks in advance for everyone's help.

-Katrina

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 4:19 pm

AMV's are a grey area as you know.

I'd consider that a service, and I don't really mind paying for it as a service. As a product - it's a little questionable...

Personally, I think $50 for 15 hours of work + sources (which you'll need) is a joke. I mean, it's really not something you'd make any money on.

On the other hand, I strongly doubt anyone would pay over that amount.

So, if it's something you want to do - I have nothing against it.

FirestormXIII · Post by **FirestormXIII** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 4:23 pm

...I don't wanna touch this with a fifty foot pole. AMVs are illegal anyway, so it's not really a question of that. This is just questionable ethics...

Fungie½ · Post by **Fungie½** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 4:25 pm

That sounds fine to me. It's a nice way to help people who don't have the equipment to make the videos get to see the video made for them. ^^ Best of luck.

Zarxrax · Post by **Zarxrax** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 4:30 pm

I believe this is a highly illegal activity. You don't own the rights to either the anime or the song used, and thus have absolutely no right to sell it. Also I can't really see anyone paying 50 bucks for someone else to make an amv for them anyways :\

turboneko · Post by **turboneko** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 4:45 pm

I completely agree with Zarxrax on this one: making a fan music video (which in any case implies that you own the source of the footage and the source of the music) for "personal use" is one thing...

...starting to sell it is a whole different story.

Looking at the latest RIAA actions, I'd be scared to even consider the implications

Bottomline: DON'T DO IT

dwchang · Post by **dwchang** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 5:11 pm

Zarxrax wrote:I believe this is a highly illegal activity. You don't own the rights to either the anime or the song used, and thus have absolutely no right to sell it. Also I can't really see anyone paying 50 bucks for someone else to make an amv for them anyways :\

I'm with Zarxrax and TurboNeko on this.

You're asking for the wrath of the RIAA if you do this. Even if you *own* the source (anime and song), who says that person does too?

Also selling something that you don't own? Given, I do realize they're paying for the editing, but still...

I'd also imagine this would bring us in the spotlight of all this legal action lately. Something they've sort of ignored.

Lyrs · Post by **Lyrs** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 5:14 pm

boy, you must be desperate for money.... (j/k......?)

neway, if only to be redundant, i'm agreeing with them folks.
/end

SarahtheBoring · Post by **SarahtheBoring** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 5:34 pm

Yeah, I'm waaaaay on the end of the spectrum; I get annoyed when people charge for vids they've already made, too.

My view is, making money off something copyrighted is WAY worse than just using it and not benefiting from it. The fact that we don't benefit from this is one of the things that keeps the copyright holders off our backs. Sometimes, with some areas of fandom, it's all they have to keep copyright holders off their backs.

AMVs are indeed a gray area, but when you're selling something you don't own, I'm sorry, but that goes out of gray and into flatly illegal.

Not to mention that I consider it distasteful to the very idea, that most of us do this because we like it, not because we're whoring out our editing time for money.

...eh. The whole thing makes me feel icky.

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Wed Aug 20, 2003 5:53 pm

Ah, this sounds like a good deal.

I want you to recreate EVERY video in my profile from scratch with high quality DVD footage especially Dragon Bebop Z and The Haunted Ship within 3 days, no more than that. You seem like a very high skilled individual and this should certainly be no problem for you

Your check will be sent out in the next 3 days.