Who hosts these files?

All the audio/visual content on this site is embedded from other sites such as GoogleVideo, YouTube, Guba, MegaVideo, Youku etc. Therefore, this site has no control over the copyright issues of the streaming media. All issues concerning copyright violations should be aimed at the sites hosting the material. This site does not host the streaming media and the owner has not uploaded any of the material to this site or any other video hosting servers.

The owner of this site cannot know which documentaries are in public domain, which has been uploaded to e.g. google video by the owner, and which has been uploaded without permission, and is therefore willing to remove any violating material immediately upon request. The copyright owner must further contact the source if he wants his material off the Internet completely.

What is public domain?

Many of the old movie are in public domain. Note that most of the newer videos are probably not in public domain. “When a work’s copyright or patent restrictions expire, it enters the public domain and may be used by anyone for any purpose.” Read more on wikipedia.

From Archive.org: “If the work was made in 1923 or earlier, it is probably public domain and can be uploaded. NOTE! Restored versions of the film or new soundtracks for silent films can have
more recent copyrights that are still valid – usually a copyright notice for a new soundtrack or restoration will appear in the film.

For works made from 1923 to 1949, post a question to the movie forum on Archive.org before you upload. The copyright could have been renewed and there isn’t a way online to check a film’s copyright status.

For works made from 1950 to 1963, you can check the title at the Library of Congress Copyright Database for copyright renewals. This will list copyright renewals for most films.”

A video may fall under public domain if: (1) the term of copyright for the video has expired; (2) the author failed to satisfy statutory formalities to perfect the copyright or (3) the video is a work of the U.S. Government.

Related links: The Public-Domain Movie Database, Proof of Public Domain, Union for the Public Domain, U.S. copyright Office.

Are there other similar resources?

Archive.org – “This collection contains thousands of videos which range from classic full-length movies, to daily alternative news broadcasts, to user-uploaded videos of every genre. We hope you enjoy this vast and diverse collection!”

Publicdomaintorrents.com – “Public Domain Movie Torrents hosts a wide variety of movies now in the public domain that you can download for free using BitTorrent technology. Many for PDA iPod PSP and other mobile devices.”

The Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) is a non-profit professional association established to advance the field of moving image archiving by fostering cooperation among individuals and organizations concerned with the acquisition, preservation, exhibition and use of moving image materials.

Footage.net – “Since 1994, FOOTAGE.net has been the premiere stock footage resource to reach the trade’s best stock footage sources – news, creative, archival, and RF. Now find better content faster than ever before.”

Creative Commons – “Creative Commons provides free tools that let authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry. You can use
CC to change your copyright terms from ‘All Rights Reserved’ to ‘Some Rights Reserved.’”