The BBC has tentatively
opened its TV archive over the internet. Around 100 short clips from shows such
as Walking With Beasts and Tomorrow's World have been made
available for what the BBC calls "free public use in their own creative works".
BBC Radio 1
launched the scheme with a competition to produce a music video. Under the newly
created Creative Archive Licence, clips may be used freely except in commercial
or campaigning ways and must not be used to defame other people.
Paul Gerhardt, director of the
Creative Archive
Licence Group, said: "This is aimed at a young media-aware audience who are
naturally tuned into the idea of content being available when they want it, and
who will welcome the right to shape it to meet their needs."
The Creative Archive Licence allows people within the UK to watch, download
and edit the clips and programming for non-commercial purposes.
The clips also include more generic material such as shots of cityscapes,
sunsets, seascapes and the like, all available in QuickTime, Windows Media and
MPEG1 formats.
StuartGordon, senior consultant at
Capgemini
Telecom Media and Entertainment, said: "We've seen online music go
mainstream over the past year. This move by the BBC may be the seed that the
industry needs to start mainstream adoption of video content over the internet.
"This will be supported by the adoption of 3G devices this Christmas and in
the new year, the new Sky, Tivo and other home gateways which are expected to
support access to video content from the internet."
The British Film Insti
tute, Channel 4, the
Open University and
Teachers' TV are
also set to make more material available.
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