Open Video is more than just open codecs. It’s the growing movement for transparency, interoperability, and further decentralization in online video. These qualities provide more fertile ground for independent producers, bottom-up innovation, and greater protection for free speech online. The conference will showcase awesome cultural works, inspiring talks, and cool tech demos.

They have some great speakers like Clay Shirkey and Yochai Benkler and topics span a huge and fascinating spectrum: fair use, human rights and video, mobile journalism, art and technology and giving away films for free (Jamie King will be speaking about Steal This Film II, Brett Gaylor about Rip: A Remix Manifesto). I plan to be there and will report back. There will also be a live webcast.

Find out more about the Open Video Alliance and the ideas behind the Conference in the video below.

This document is a code of best practices that helps creators, online providers, copyright holders, and others interested in the making of online video interpret the copyright doctrine of fair use. Fair use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances.

This is a guide to current acceptable practices, drawing on the actual activities of creators, as discussed among other places in the study Recut, Reframe, Recycle: Quoting Copyrighted Material in User-Generated Video and backed by the judgment of a national panel of experts. It also draws, by way of analogy, upon the professional judgment and experience of documentary filmmakers, whose own code of best practices has been recognized throughout the film and television businesses.

Key Points:

• Online distribution models remove third party gatekeepers, connect the filmmaker directly with the audience, giving them the freedom to decide when the film is released on a global scale.
• Partnering with grassroots organisations to access their databases is a great way of connecting with the right audience. These people can be your film’s distributors and marketers, for free. These databases can even be used to fund as well as distribute campaigning documentaries.
• Social networking sites like MySpace (with over 190 million members) are a great way to spread free word of mouth marketing.
• There are now dozens of websites where you can upload video, Current TV, MySpace, Reeva, etc all with something different to offer but it is important you read the terms and conditions, especially with regards to rights.