P2P activists work to save Eyes on the Prize
Real AudioEyes on the Prize is the documentary series that chronicles the American civil rights movement. But it can no longer be broadcast on TV, or released on DVD. Costly archival footage that appeared in the film was licensed for only a set number of years, and those licenses have mostly expired.
The film's production company, Blackside, is investigating the cost to renew the rights. In the meantime, old, decaying VHS tapes, tucked away in school libraries, are about all that's left of the seminal documentary.
Now, the file-sharing advocacy group Downhill Battle is making Eyes on the Prize available for download on the BitTorrent file-sharing network, and is organzing public screenings around the country.
Downhill Battle's David Moore said distributing the film amounts to protected fair-use.
A lawyer for Blackside told Wired News that Downhill Battle has no legitimate fair use claim, and said Backside will pursue all legal remedies to stop illegal downloading of Eyes on the Prize.
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