Why is the Documentary Film Program important?
In order to show and distribute their films, documentary filmmakers usually need to obtain “errors and omissions” insurance to insure against liability for copyright infringement, defamation, and other media risks. In the past, it has been difficult and expensive, if not simply impossible, for filmmakers to obtain insurance that covers any unlicensed use of copyrighted content. A significant part of this problem has been the fact that Fair Use law can be complicated and difficult to apply. It was therefore difficult and expensive for insurance companies to assess Fair Use issues. In November 2005, the Center for Social Media at Washington Colleges of Law teamed with leading academics and lawyers to create the Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement Of Best Practices In Fair Use. These Best Practices synthesized established principles of Fair Use into an understandable set of guidelines that are easy for filmmakers to apply. Media/Professional, the nation’s leading insurer of media risks, has
