U.S. copyright law allows "authorized" people or organizations to make Braille versions of print materials without getting a license from the copyright holder, but I don't think that part of the law extends to print transcripts. Here's the relevant code section from the federal copyright statute:Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, it is not an infringement of copyright for an authorized entity to reproduce or to distribute copies or phonorecords of a previously published, nondramatic literary work if such copies or phonorecords are reproduced or distributed in specialized formats exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities. You'd think that "specialized formats" would include written transcripts, but this code section is really all about helping people with vision issues.
The audio part of a TV show is wrapped up in the copyright of the entire show. You'd definitely have to get a license from the copyright holder to sell a transcript of the text, just like a movie screenplay (even if you typed it in yourself while watching the film). I know some shows sell transcripts for a fee -- that's always a clue to me that there's a legal right involved. I-am-not-a-lawyer.
U.S. copyright law allows "authorized" people or organizations to make Braille versions of print materials without getting a license from the copyright holder, but I don't think that part of the law extends to print transcripts. Here's the relevant code section from the federal copyright statute:Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, it is not an infringement of copyright for an authorized entity to reproduce or to distribute copies or phonorecords of a previously published, nondramatic literary work if such copies or phonorecords are reproduced or distributed in specialized formats exclusively for use by blind or other persons with disabilities.
You'd think that "specialized formats" would include written transcripts, but this code section is really all about helping people with vision issues.
The audio part of a TV show is wrapped up in the copyright of the entire show. You'd definitely have to get a license from the copyright holder to sell a transcript of the text, just like a movie screenplay (even if you typed it in yourself while watching the film). I know some shows sell transcripts for a fee -- that's always a clue to me that there's a legal right involved. I-am-not-a-lawyer.
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