The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 18, 1984 - Page 3
Court rules in favor of VCRs
From AP and UPI
WASHINGTON - Americans are free
ti use home video recorders to tape
tielevision programs, the Supreme
court ruled 5-4 yesterday.
The. decision, nearly two years in the
making, is a major victory for the $3-
billion-a-year recorder industry,
freeing it from the threat of millions of
dollars in fines and royalties.
THE JUSTICES, acting on a case
filed by Walt Disney Productions and
} Universal Studios against the Sony
Corp., rejected an appeals court's fin-
ding that taping TV programs violates
copyright laws and that manufacturers
of recording devices are responsible for
the illegal infringement. '
It is 'estimated that more than 5
million Americans record shows at
home.
Claiming they were being deprived of
massive revenues by unauthorized use
of their productions, the Hollywood
studios sued Sony - the Japanese
manufacturer of the Betamax video
cassette recorder - as well as a
Betamax user and a retail outlet that
sold the devices.
The high court struggled for more
than two terms to resolve the issue,
which is likely to bounce back to
Congress. Lawmakers already are
calling for copyright protection for the
movie industry, which brought the suit.
MOVIE-INDUSTRY lobbyists are
expected to press Congress to rewrite
copyright laws and provide new
royalties to compensate TV producers
and performers.
One proposal, supported by
Hollywood, would force makers of
videotape recorders to pay a royalty fee
to producers and performers.
The people who pay for the programs,
the advertisers, are worried that "a
word form our sponsor" will soon signal
a massive speed-search past the com-
merical.
RICHARD KOSTRYA, senior vice
president and media director for the J.
Walter Thompson ad agency, said
videocassette recorders VCRs "with
fast-forward modes and TV sets with
remote control are the biggest threats
to TV advertising today."'
"It's not a substantial problem now,"
said Walter Reichel, executive vice pr-
esident and director of media programs
for the Ted Bates advertising agency.
"But the problem of getting our com-
mercial messages across could become
very berious."
In 1979, the A.C. Nielsen Co. did a fir-
st-time survey of about 550 homes with
VCRs. One finding was that "the
majority of recording was done during
the daytime, obviously soap operas, to
be viewed at the viewers' convenien-
ce," said Barry Kaplan, vice president,
associate director for media infor-
mation at the Ted Bates ad agency.
"YOU'D BE a fool not to zap the com-
mercials," Kaplan said. No exact
figures were released by Nielsen, but
one conclusion was "that a great
degree of people used speed search to
run past the commercials,"' siad
Kaplan.
Americans today are increasingly
recording their favorite shows, from
movies and cartoons to exercise
programs and football games, from
television - often for viewing later.
The movie industry called this a form
of piracy. But Justice John Paul
Stevens, in the high court's 37-page
majority opinion, said this concept of
simple "time-shifting" is a lawful use
of the recorders.
"TIME-shifting enables viewers to see
programs they otherwise would miss
because they are not at home, are oc-
cupied with other tasks, or viewing a
program on another station at the time
of the broadcast that they desire to
watch," he said.
-HAPPENINGS
Highlight
Novelist William Gaddis, author of "J.R.," and "The Recognitions," will
speak to aspiring writers today at the Hopwood Underclassmen Awards
Ceremony. Awards will be presented to 21 students who submitted work in
poetry, essay writing, and fiction at 4 p.m. in Rackham Auditorium.
Films.
Cinema Guild-The Bicycle Thief, 7 & 8:45 p.m., Lorch Hall.
CFT-East of Eden, 6:45 & 9 p.m., The Searchers, 7 & 9:20 p.m., Michigan
Theatre.
Cinema Two-Paths of Glory, 7 p.m., The Caine Mutiny, 8:45 p.m., MLB 3.
Ethnographic Film Series-Nanook of the North, 7 p.m., MLB Lecture
Room 2.
Speakers
Industrial and Operations Engineering-"From Freight Flow and Cost
Patterns to Greater Profitability and Better Service for a Motor Carrier,"
Ed Sharon, 4 p.m., 241 IOE Building.
Chemistry-Seminar, "Cyclocondensations of Electron-Rich Dienes with
Aldehydes," William Pearson, 10 , a.m., "Multiresonant-Nonlinear-Laser
Spectroscopy," John Steehler, 4 p.m. Room 1200 Chem. Bldg.
Center for Russian and East European Studies-Brown Bag, "Im-
pressions and Perceptions of Andropov's Russia," Ron Runy, noon, Com-
mons Room, Lane Hall.
National Honor Society of Nursing-"Nursing Breakthroughs in the Ann
Arbor Community:. Interventions for Urinary Incontinence; Pain Control
with Sublinqual," Carol Brink, RN and Ingrid Deininger, RN, 8 p.m.,
Sheraton University Inn.
Biology-Seminar, "Defective Extracellular Matrix in Bovine
Osteogenesis Imperfecta," noon, 5732 Med. Sci. II.
Michigan Map Society-"The Histrocial Atlas of Canada Project:
Preliminary Report," Deryck Holdsworth, 8 p.m., clements Library. Din-
ner to meet Holdsworth at 6 p.m., Stagedoor Restaurant, 300 S. Thayer.
Netherlands-America University League-"Can a Welfare State Avoid
Bankruptcy: The Social Systems in the Netherlands & the USA," Ruud van
der Been, 8 p.m., nternational Center..
Communication-"Prime Time TV: An Industry Perspective," Henry
Colman, 2 p.m., Rm. 200 Lane Hall.
International Center- Getting Organized and Documented for Your Trip
to Europe," noon, "Opportunities for Graduate Study in Europe,"
Christopher Flood, 4 p.m,, International Center.
Computing Center-"Intro Ontel Terminal," Forrest Hartman, 1:30-3
p.m., "Advanced Ontel Terminal: Full Screen Editing," 3:30-5 p.m.,
registration required, 764-9595, Ontel Rm. NUBS.
Chemibal Engineering-"Intro to Digital Computing & MTS, II," Brice
Carnahan, E.H. Kraus Aud., 7-9 p.m.
Museum of Art-"Portraits," Jeannette Goldberg, 12:10 p.m. Museum of
Art.
Spanish Conversation Club-Brown Bag, noon, Commons Rm. MLB.
Students for Glenn-Lyn Glenn, 7p.m., Anderson Rm.,.Michigan Union.
Performances
Tae Kwon Do Club-Martial arts demonstration, 7 p.m., CCRB.
UAC-Laughtrack, 9 p.m., U-Club.
Meetings
Science Fiction Club-Stilyagi Air Corps, 8:15 p.m., League.
Michigan Gay Undergraduates-Guild House, 9 p.m., 802 Monroe.
Academic Alcoholics-1:30 p.m., alano Club.
Alumni Association-Student Alumni Council Mass Meeting, 7 p.m., Alumni
Center.
Research Club-8 p.m., Rackham West Conference Rm.
Research Council-7 p.m., West Alcove, Rackham.
LSA-Student Government-6 p.m., 3rd floor Michigan Union.
Undergraduate Political Science Association-7 p.m., 2003 Angell.
Jackson Campaign-Organizational meeting, 7 p.m., Welker Rm., Union.
Miscellaneous
Botanical Gardens-Pressed Flower Workshop, 1 p.m., Rm. 139.
SYDA Foundation-"Hatha Yoga," 6p.m., 1422 Hill St.
Student Wood & Crafts Shop-Power Tools Safety, 6 p.m., 537 SAB.
Reader's Theatre Guild-Auditions, 8 p.m., Anderson Rm., Union.
State to allow 'U'
to use crematorium
By BILL SPINDLE
State air quality control officials
decided yesterday to let the medical
school use its crematorium for one
more year, although the facility is
technically violating air pollution con-
trol standards.
Last month, University officials were
warned that the facility, which is used
to cremate cadavers used. in anatomy
classes, was emitting double the
maximum amount of smoke allowed to
stay within health codes.
IN A HEARING yesterday in Lan-
sing, the University asked for per-
mission to continue using the
crematorium until a new one can be
completed next January. University of-
ficials say they had planned to replace
the crematorium anyway, because it
was getting old.
Air control officials agreed to the
request and stipulated that the Univer-
sity begin construction on the new
facility this summer and have it ready
for testing by next fall, said Dennis
Aimbruster, a spokesman for the air
quality division of the state's depar-
tment of Natural Resources.
"The facility is in violation of the
rules, but the board accepted the
proposal in exchange for a new
facility," Aimbruster said.
He said, that the crematorium would
not be a health hazard because it is only
used on a limited basis in the winter and
summer. Also, the air.control board
required the University to take extra
precautions to cut down on the amount
of smoke emitted, he said.
"IT'S NOT going to cause any health.
problems for the people living around
there," he said.
Theodore Fischer, an associate
anatomy professor, said that because of
fewer winter term classes, the facility
will be used considerably less than in
the fall. The facility is not used by any
classes in the summer, only by a smal
number of hospital clinicians, he said.
Fischer said the hospital should have
no troubles completing the new
crematorium by next year.
AP Photo
Time warp
No, it's not an old photograph of a turn-of-the-century general store. Jim
VanderWal of Daane & Witter Co., a Grand Rapids grocery store specializing
.in home delivery, picks a box off of one of the top shelves to fill an order yest-
erday. Only 10 percent of the store's customers are "walk-ins."
CPA EXAM REVIEW
FEB.4-=APR. 28
Problem-Solving Approach Proven Over 10 Years
Focus on your particular areas of difficulty in class.
Small fire bits W.
Quad
* Meet 2 evenings for 12 weeks
Tuition:$1 20-240 perclass
* Includes Extra Sessions:
Exam Strategy and Final Wrap-Up
* Guarantee Policy
A fireplace in a West Quad lounge last
night got a bit too hot as the first floor of
Adams House began to fill with smoke
and students had to be evacuated at
about 10:45 p.m. Fire officials said that
the will between the Fireside Lounge
and Adams House was especially hot,
but at press time last night the cause of
the problem could not be determined.
All residents of West Quad were forced
to leave the building and many went
across the street to South Quad while'
others flooded the basement of the
Union. Studentswere kept out of the
building for at least an hour.
Next Review Offered in August
For a brochure, call 377-3120
Div. of Continuing Education
OAKLAND UNIVERSITY
..
GOOLD
To appear in female roles in a new TV series:
LEGMN
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Malicious Intent
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