Member Avatar for Erek4

Ladies/Gents,

I am creating a website just for fun and wanted to add video clips from different movies. Is this legal? Are there any legal ramifications to this?

I.E. Top ten list of scariest momemts from various classic movies, etc.

At your convience.

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Short answer: posting movie clips on a personal site usually requires permission; fair use is an exception but it’s fact‑specific and unpredictable. ’s point that fair use “makes your head spin” is accurate, and ’s basic caution about needing permission is the safe starting position. U.S. law evaluates fair use under Section 107 and courts stress there’s no bright‑line “few seconds” rule. (copyright.gov)
U.S. Copyright Office — Fair Use Index (Stanford — Four Factors)

What matters most are the four fair‑use factors: purpose/character (is the clip transformative commentary or just entertainment?), nature of the original (creative works like films get strong protection), amount/substantiality (the “heart” of a film is risky even if brief), and market effect (does the clip substitute for the original?). Transformative criticism, review, or scholarship helps, but it does not guarantee protection; courts decide case‑by‑case. The Ninth Circuit’s Lenz decision also makes clear rights‑holders must consider fair use before sending DMCA takedowns. (fairuse.stanford.edu)

Embedding versus hosting changes risk. Using YouTube’s embeddable player is permitted by YouTube’s Terms and—because the file stays on YouTube—carries less direct‑infringement exposure; EFF explains embedding is legally closer to linking. That said, contributory liability can attach if someone knowingly embeds obviously infringing uploads, and DMCA notice‑and‑takedown rules apply to online hosts. (youtube.com)
YouTube Terms of Service (EFF on embedding) (USCO — Section 512 resources)

Practical paths that reduce risk: (1) license clips from rights agents or distributors (services like MPLC/Swank handle many non‑theatrical rights); (2) use public‑domain or Creative‑Commons material (see Duke’s Public Domain summaries); or (3) build clearly transformative, documented commentary and keep records of the analysis. Credit helps but is not permission. For a hobby/top‑ten page the lowest‑risk choices are embedding legitimately posted videos, using public‑domain/CC clips, or negotiating a short clip license; otherwise expect takedown notices and potential liability. (us.mplc.com)

A structured, documented critique (the approach suggested by ) strengthens a fair‑use argument, but it does not eliminate the legal uncertainty—fair use is a defense evaluated after the fact, not an automatic permission.

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Member Avatar for Erek4

Also, I see some of these clips on YouTube. Not sure if it is ok to take from there.

My thinking is that on all/most movies it says, copying any part is illegal.

Member Avatar for MosaicFuneral

Read up on Fair Use - it will make your head spin!

You might be fine, you might be in a gray zone, or you might be in position to get your balls sued to the wall.

Member Avatar for jbennet

Basically, no. Not without permission from the copyright owners.

Member Avatar for Fest3er

Ladies/Gents,

I am creating a website just for fun and wanted to add video clips from different movies. Is this legal? Are there any legal ramifications to this?

I.E. Top ten list of scariest momemts from various classic movies, etc.

At your convience.

If you write a 'scholarly document' that defines just what 'scary moments' are, uses such moments from classic movies to illustrate your point, gives full and proper citations for each 'quote' and maybe even rates the effectiveness of each moment, then that most certainly falls within 'fair use' because you are, in effect, quoting a small portion of the copyrighted work in order to reinforce your point.

Should you write a series of such documents (scariest, goriest, tenderest, meanest, etc.), your foundation of fair use will become more solid with each one written. Of course, authoring a serious document is more akin to work than fun, but there are those of us who think it's fun anyway, regardless of how much work is involved.

A couple 'scary' examples I immediately think of are when the detached head first 'jumps' into the scene in "Jaws", and when the hand comes down on the shoulder in "Phantasm" (though this one is definitely amplified when you sneak up behind someone and gently put your hand on her shoulder at the very same moment; you shouldn't ask how I know :)).

If any and all copying violated copyright law, then everyone who ever quotes anyone else is guilty of copyright violation and must be sued, fined and/or jailed.

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