How do I check what can I record under the AU ERA licence?

The University streaming server, http://hml.aber.ac.uk, enables staff to upload videos they have created and to share them with students via Blackboard. The server also includes the facility to record broadcast outputs, ( How do I do that? ), and to share them with students under the terms of the ERA+ licence.

• What is the ERA licence?
• How does the ERA licence affect me?
• Are there any restrictions I should be aware of?

What is the ERA licence?

The ERA Licensing Scheme permits staff at educational establishments to record, for non-commercial educational purposes, broadcast output of ERA's Members, http://www.era.org.uk.

Aberystwyth University has subscribed to the ERA+ licence, which means that as well as being able to record TV and radio programmes for education purposes, wecan also distribute the recorded programmes to registered students in the UK via our streaming server Medial.

How does the ERA licence affect me?

The ERA+ licence means that staff at Aberystwyth University can now:

• Record any material broadcast, including radio and films that are broadcast.
• Make clips available to students, although they still need the ERA license message.
• Embed the recorded material, or section(s) of it, in educational material, such as PowerPoint presentations, in  Blackboard.
• Keep material recorded under the license indefinitely while a license is held; if recorded after 30/5/1990.
• Record parts of programmes; labelling requirements still apply.
• Record Open University material, or material produced jointly with the Open University, for example Coast.

Are there any restrictions I should be aware of?

There are still some limitations on what staff can do with the recordings. Staff cannot:

• Record material provided on demand, i.e. in the form of podcasts or iplayer files as this is not broadcast material.
• Add to, manipulate or change the material. Re-editing, changing the sound-track, dubbing, adding sub-titles, etc is not permitted.
• Strip the credits out. They are an integral part of a broadcast.
• Show the recorded material to the general public, it must be for educational use.
• Charge for viewing the material.

The information on this page is taken from the ERA website.