Eyes on the prize- civil rights documentary

[Allan]

So, seems this is supposed to be an all important all clarifying documentary on civil rights, which will spread its light all over the world, so go watch it, I will now.

Here's the whole mail from downhill battle:


"Hey everyone, we're launching a very big campaign today called Eyes on the
Screen. Check it out at:

http://www.eyesonthescreen.org

You can help us spread the word by blogging and forwarding this email far and
wide. But most of all, you can help by organizing a screening in your city or
town!

nicholas
downhillbatlte.org

----------------------------

February is Black History month! This February 8th help to ensure that the most
important Civil Rights Documentary ever produced can be seen in every major
American city.

Dear friend of a friend,

Eyes on the Screen (eyesonthescreen.org) is a campaign to celebrate
the Civil Rights Movement and the great documentary that tells its
story: Eyes on the Prize. We're working to once again put this film
back on our screens and in front of millions of people.

The most important civil rights documentary of all time has been
unavailable on video and television for 10 years because of copyright
restrictions. Civil rights leader Lawrence Guyot said recently, This
is analogous to stopping the circulation of all the books about Martin
Luther King, stopping the circulation of all the books about Malcolm
X, stopping the circulation of books about the founding of America.

With your help, on February 8th, 2005 we'll gather our friends and
community together to send a message that this film and its story are
simply too important to be kept from the public. Downhill Battle has
made digital versions of 'Eyes on the Prize' available for download
and this February there will be nationwide screenings of 'Eyes on the
Prize' across the country.

To organize or attend a screening visit:
www.eyesonthescreen.org


Sunk by Copyright

'Eyes on the Prize' is accepted as the most comprehensive and
historically important telling of the civil rights movement. Yet the
restraints of our corporatized copyright system have taken copies of
'Eyes on the Prize' off store shelves. Are we ready to take 'Eyes on
the Prize' onto our screens? Go to www.eyesonthescreen.org now. Here
you'll be able to start or sign up for a screening in your city. Eyes
on the Screen is an important step towards commemorating this
film. When better to start than Black History Month! We're fighting to
help keep a vivid part of the Civil Rights movement alive and we hope
everyone who can will join us in this effort.

Why did this happen?

'The owners of the libraries, which are now increasingly under
corporate consolidation, see this as a ready source of income... It
has turned our history into a commodity. They might as well be selling
underwear or gasoline.'
--Jon Else, a filmmaker who worked on Eyes on the Prize

Eyes on the Prize is often considered by teachers to be the most
effective way of teaching about the civil rights movement and civic
engagement. Yet now this valuable educational tool is being kept from
our classrooms. Copyright costs are not a good reason for keeping this
film from being used in classrooms and public places any longer.

'I would call upon everyone who has access to 'Eyes on the Prize' to
openly violate any and all laws regarding its showing.'
-- Lawrence Guyot, Former leader of the Mississippi Freedom
Democratic Party on January 17, 2005


Bring Eyes on the Prize to Your Community

With your help, there will be a screening of Eyes on the Prize in your
area. Visit www.eyesonthescreen.org to find out if there already is a
screening or to sign up to host one.

Are we ready to take this film to our screens? Are we ready to send a
big message about how much our communities value the power of films
such as Eyes on the Prize?

It's important that you tell many of your friends - pass this email on
to them.

Thank you for reading this and thank you for all your help - now go be
a screener.

Sincerely,


Tiffiniy Cheng
Nicholas Reville
Nick Nassar
Holmes Wilson
Morgan Knutson
Jordan DeMaio
DownhillBattle.org

If you would like to learn more about Downhill Battle, please visit
http://www.downhillbattle.org."

 

[Allan]

Argh, can't figure that blog turrent thing out, oh well.

 

[Allan]

Here's the essence for you lazy people:

"Copyright law has expanded out of control, and its public mission is no longer being served. Copyright was originally designed to encourage creativity and innovation--much like patent law. But for the past 50 years multi-national corporations like Disney and the major record labels have aggressively lobbied Congress to expand and expand and expand the reach of copyright law. Instead of lasting 20 years and requiring registration (like patents do) copyright has become automatic and now corporate copyrights last 90 years.

In addition to the excessive 90 year copyright, corporations have created a legal environment that effectively strips the free speech rights of documentary filmmakers and artists to excerpt copyrighted works for their productions. Nowadays even incidental copyrighted material appearing in a documentary (e.g. a television that's visible while people are talking) is being tossed on the cutting room floor because filmmakers are threatened with lawsuits. Copyright has become so twisted that it now severely restricts innovation, creativity and speech rather than encouraging it. In this case, our unworkable copyright law has kept "Eyes on the Prize" out of homes and classrooms, depriving us of a crucial historical record.

Last week Lawrence Guyot, a prominent civil rights leader with the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, told the Washington Post, "This is analogous to stopping the circulation of all the books about Martin Luther King, stopping the circulation of all the books about Malcolm X, stopping the circulation of books about the founding of America... I would call upon everyone who has access to 'Eyes on the Prize' to openly violate any and all laws regarding its showing.""