Obtain Copies of Film and Video
Obtain Copies of Film and Video
The Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division is often asked to provide stock shots for use in film and video productions. As an archive, we are primarily concerned with preserving our motion picture and television collections and making them available for serious research on our own premises. We may be able to provide copies of some items in our collections but only if copyright, preservation, or donor restrictions allow.
We do not maintain a list of copyright-free material. Most of our moving image collection consists of complete productions protected by copyright. While the term of copyright varies depending on the facts of registration and renewal, films can be protected from 1923 to the present. Researchers may view copyrighted films at the Library to identify scenes of interest, but the copyright owner is usually the appropriate source for obtaining duplicate footage. Records of ownership are in the Copyright Office. For information regarding copyright searches, contact the following:
Copyright Office
Reference and Bibliography Section
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20559-6000
(202) 707-6850
Last Updated: 08/03/2007