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Is selling VHS copies of NFL Films Legal?

Auction

I contacted the seller of the above auction to inquire about the 65 NFL Championship game tape he is selling
and he told me that is is a copy SP copy from ESPN Classic!

Is this legal???



Loves me some shiny!

Comments

  • dudedude Posts: 1,454 ✭✭
    Is this legal???

    Nope.
  • According to Ebay Policy VHS or CD-R copies of television programs taped off of television may not be listed on eBay.

    Robert
    Looking for:
    Any high grade OPC Jim Palmer
    High grade Redskins (pre 1980)
  • estangestang Posts: 1,258 ✭✭✭
    Carew4Me,

    You've hit a sore point with me in regards to old game tapes from the NFL. I believe that there's a big market out there for any/all NFL games to be sold in DVD. They could do some fantastic stuff by interviewing the players, coaches and announcers that were involved and weave those into the game or put it as an extra on DVD. As well, they could create some nice graphical box scores and even make it to where if you clicked on say Chuck Foreman's name it would take you to a clip of all his runs for that game. They could even make it to where you could choose between listening to the TV commentators or the radio guys from either team. The possibilities are enormous and I'd pay good money for them.

    When the NFL Network started, I sent an email to their programming director inquiring whether they are going to show full games from the past and conveyed some of my ideas and interest. I received a response back that they aren't going to do this anytime soon and that there were some laws and regulations that make it complicated to re-broadcast these games.

    I was perplexed by the response, becuase I thought the NFL owned all the rights to the games. Perhaps it is them and the network (CBS, NBC, ABC) that shares in broadcast. They've got the games, just figure it out.

    As a Vikings fan, I'd love to buy a DVD package for say $200 from 1975 season that has all the games, including the dreaded Hail Mary game with these interviews etc.. in them; fully resotred in digital.

    What do others think about this concept? Would you pay for the games on DVD? How much?

    I should note that I've bought some VHS tapes of Vikings games from the 70s including the Hail Mary Game, as well as some classic Monday Night Football contests with Colts & Unitas and Steelers/Bradshaw. Just hearing Howard Cosell call the game and get to see something that I've never seen before is unbelievable. To see the way Fran Tarkenton went ballistic in that Hail Mary Game when they got the ball back with less than a minute toward their own goal line was something else. He was LIVID at that referee. And then the ref that didn't make the call gets hit in the head by a wiskey bottle. It was odd how under-stated the announcers were in what was a fully charged situation.

    Anyway, you can tell I have great passion for getting these games out there on the market for us all to see. Give me the game unedited. If you can throw in the old commercials, even better. Wathcing santa slide down the hill on a Norelco electric razor brings back some fond memories of being hunkered down in the snow/cold in Minnesota on a Sunday watching football.

    Oh and since this is a sports card forum. How about the NFL in their stats extra feature on the DVD creates their own football looking card that when you click it, it turns over to show their game stats and their career stats. Wow...that would be cool!

    image
    Enjoy your collection!
    Erik
  • I agree completely. I've always wondered why the NFL only sold highlight videos rather than full games - even of Super Bowls and other important games. I have purchased all of the Official NFL highlight videos for the Saints, but full games would be great.

    I have also purchased a few full game videos on ebay. A few weeks ago I watched the 1979 Monday Night Football game between the Saints and Raiders. Hearing Cosell and Don Meredith call the game was second only to watching Archie Manning and company light up the scoreboard in the first half. Even the Raiders' 40 point comeback and the Saints second half collapse was fun to watch.

    I bought a video of the Colts Jets Super Bowl that I may watch this weekend if the real thing gets to be too much of a blowout.

    Unfortunately, these bootleg tapes leave quite a bit to be desired in the quality department, but there is obviously a market for them.
    John Vineyard

  • estangestang Posts: 1,258 ✭✭✭
    Saints fan,

    I plan on making my first trip to New Orleans this fall when the Vikings come to town. From some other Vikings messages board I visit, I believe a lot of us will be in town sporting our purple gear. I'd imagine that happens quite a lot at Saints games; lots of out-of-towners to feel the city's electricity.

    I want to say I saw an old Vikings/Saints late 70s / early 80s game on ebay. If I find it, I'll look to purchase it and make a copy. I've been meaning to get VHS tapes to DVD but I'm not sure what type of computer or equipment that takes.

    I did find this game that you probably won't like, but I sure did

    1987 Vikings @ Saints .... Anthony Carter running wild
    Enjoy your collection!
    Erik
  • Estang- You hit on some very good ideas and valid points. I don't know what all the legal rights and ramifications would be, but I believe there would be a sizeable market for those old games. Try contacting NFL Films. I'm sure they have rights to the games they covered.
    From a business standpoint, aside from the rights issues, the only other 2 stumbling blocks would be cost of production and profitability. Just because there are some of us diehards who would pay top dollar for a DVD package of our favorite old time games, doesn't mean such a product would be worth producing. It seems the leagues produce items at a price point for the mainstream fan and not the true, face painted, tailgating, watching the game in 10 degree weather fan.
    Baseball is my Pastime, Football is my Passion
  • Well I'm a big collector of old NBA games and have a few sources who don't have a problem selling copies for a few bucks.
    The bottom line is that MLB,the NBA or the NFL will never make this stuff available so that only leaves buying and or trading for it.
  • Its not legal to sell copies but like everyone else said if the NFL etc dont release copies its the only source to buy them.

    I just got Superbowl 21 DVD in the mail yesterday and watched it last night. The best Giants game i have seen in sometime it was a rough year for usimage
  • It may not be legal but ill buy any high quality complete 1950's, 60's or 70's Steelers games on DVD or VHS. Anyone have any?


    Paul.
    Check out my new web site: Monsters of the Gridiron
  • gemintgemint Posts: 6,066 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I saw a commercial with Franco Harris that alluded to this. I think it was from a networking or data storage company. A guy was talking to his friend and said something like 'Imagine every NFL game in history available at your fingertips. That would be a great idea.' Then Franco turns to him and says "they're already working on it". Don't know what this means but hopefully they will eventually make historical games available to the public.

    I own the 1976 Steelers-Cowboys game on VHS. The quality isn't very good but it's fun to watch. The most striking thing was seeing how the game has changed over the years. The cadence is much different now. In 1976, teams would line up at the line of scrimage standing up and then all go into their 3-point stances simultaneously. They don't do that any more. Also, when Bradshaw got clocked by Cliff Harris after his bomb to Swann, they show the trainers carrying him off the field with his feet dragging along the ground. Today, he would lay on the ground for 10 minutes and they'd probably bring a gurney in to carry him off to the ambulance.
  • NickMNickM Posts: 4,896 ✭✭✭
    I've made copies for my own ability to watch the game at a later time (just call it time-shifting, which the Supreme Court said was legal). So I haven't erased them in 20 years. So what? image
    I suppose I could always begin work on a book about Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, and other games, for which I would need to review footage of the games. image
    Seriously, the sports leagues are not going to come after anyone who builds a personal collection of old games from TV, but they will pursue people publicly selling these or showing them at public gatherings. [Of course, if you show a Super Bowl game to fans of the losing team, the law will be the least of your worries.]

    Nick
    image
    Reap the whirlwind.

    Need to buy something for the wife or girlfriend? Check out Vintage Designer Clothing.
  • You'd think that the major sports leagues would be rushing to offer fans huge volumes of DVD's. I guess many legal or business issues still need to be resolved.

    I'd love to find old Laker Celtic games from the 1980's for example on DVD. ESPN classic sometimes has these types of games, but it's hit and miss.

    It seems inevitable though that complete games will offered in the future. As DVD players keep dropping in price, and as more and more movies and old TV shows come out on DVD, the leagues can't be that far behind.
  • Lothar52Lothar52 Posts: 2,664 ✭✭✭
    I want baseball to get into theact too...wouldnt it be neat to watch (or listen) to every ballgame mickey mantle ever played in???? im sure alot of those games were on some sort of blac k and white film too.

    loth

  • shouldabeena10shouldabeena10 Posts: 1,357 ✭✭✭
    I remember hearing somewhere that the games will be shown through "On-Demand" through your cable company. I don't remember if it was in conjuction with the new NFL channel or not, but it sounded like it was not too far off. It will be cool to be able to rewind and watch some of the great catches and plays over and over.
    "Vintage Football Cards" A private Facebook Group of 4000 members, for vintage football card trading, sales & auctions. https://facebook.com/groups/vintagefootball/
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