Let's say you are walking thru the woods with your camcorder, and you shoot the best video ever of the big guy, that puts the PGF to shame. All digital quality, in daylight, close-ups, the whole nine yards.
How would you react?
Would you call the news? A lawyer? Put a still here? Or hold out for the BIG bucks?

I would do two things. Contact my lawyer and turn over the video to some of the photographic/video experts (like DDA) here on the BFF. I'd get my "i's" dotted and t's" crossed - then I would release it to the BFF. Answer all the questions that I could. Then hide :hide: because it would be upsetting to my private life. But even if upsetting, I do not believe in sitting on something like this.

I would run not walk to the nearest A Current Affair office and pick up my six figure check then go home and never awnser my phone! Seriously though for me I would get a lawyer for protection/copyright, then contact people who for me have some sort of scientific merrit(sp?) like Dr. Meldrum because he is associated with a university not a web site and try to get aknowledgement of proof of existance from the scientific community, then try to get paid for it. As for posting stills here I'd do it but wouldent get caught up in the over analization of it. :argue: :willies:

Honestly?

I'd be terrified!

I posted about this some time ago - I'd be terrified, simply because these days, the assumption would be that I had hoaxed the video, which would send my credability as a professional expert witness down the toilet.

I'd be out of business - If I'm lucky, I might be able to persuade some cheesy show like A Current Affair to pay me for the video while I look for a McJob somewhere on minimum wage.

So, I sure hope someone else gets that video, and not me.

I would make several copies of the video.
Put the original in a safety deposit box.
Give a copy to my attorney and have her do what is necesary, copyright etc.

Give a copy to others in this field that I trust.
Give a copy after the copyright "issues are in order" to a professional film analyzer.

Set up some type of "research fund". Because I truly believe that any $ made from a video good enough to prove these things exist should go towards further financial research and protection of these animals.

Two words: CURRENT AFFAIR !!!!

I 'd make about 8 copies, with the original safely stashed away in a fireproof box. While I was waiting for the copywrite to come thru I would screen it privately to some folks I think I can trust to evaluate it. i.e DDA, Ecwool, Meldrum, Green if possible. At some point in time I would release it publicly, possibly thru Meldrum's university. After the initial screening of course their would have to be a tour / study of the video site.

my 8 cents,

Dav

Ditto! The general public does not believe in BF so why would another video help this matter any more?

I mean really, the "world" even believes in evolution.........oops did I say that out loud....

Hmmm after being satisfied once and for all myself? I would get me a Lawyer and get me some money! Maybe even try to start my own TV or radio show (probably radio. I've heard I have a face for radio.) :mm:

Copyright Section For Videos

Current fee is $30.00

You don't have to worry about waiting for the Copyright Office to return the Copyright Form listing you as the owner. Under the copyright law, it's stated as such, "Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The copyright in the work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work."

This is usually stated as being, "Covered from the moment of creation." And you can legally affix a copyright notice to your work immediately. To INSURE the copyright protection continues, you need to register it, I believe, within 1 year with the copyright office.

It would be a good idea to send a copy to your lawyer, sent registered mail with receipt requested, and have the lawyer hang on to it without opening.


So that should be the least of your worries...

My biggest worry would be all the old friends that would come out of the woodwork, and those I never new were my friends if a large amount of money was involved.

Moregon! That was a cool piece of info!

I've considered this question before. After all, if you're actively looking for this creature, and looking to obtain video evidence, the question must cross your mind at some point. Like most of the other responses thus far, I think that contacting a good lawyer would be sound advice. After that, I think it would be dumb not to make some money off of it, but I see it as being more important that you get the footage into the right hands for the purpose of studying it. I would also be considering my next move in obtaining more footage. The money could be used to fund a longer study in the same area to hopefully obtain more evidence. I'm sure you wouldn't have any problem getting some qualified volunteers to aide you on such an expedition.

excellent Moregon, having never copywritten anything I didnt know.

ok everyone, who would you have at your initial screening ?

dav

and another thing, if you are the discover'er. aren't you allowed to provide the speciman with its latin genus name.

I think GigantoPithicus DavO sounds about right



dav

Or is it the one who writes the scientific paper describing the type specimen?

I think after copyrighting it, I'd start my money-making machine with a few dozen poster-size stills on ebay. Those would be teasers, to build momentum. Tell you guys about, and, yes, start my own web site where I could sell them. "Original first generation still shots".

Then, after the different bigfoot sites start stirring about it, I might "leak" the news out to a bunch of Current Affairs type sites that I have 2 minutes of high-quality video. I might even give them 3 seconds of it to examine. Then, I'd have them bid for the right to show it on one show, etc. "All rights reserved" by me.

Then, I think I'd sell copies of the "best" section on the video on ebay on the heels of the Current Affair promotion.

Then, when things started to cool down, I'd begin pushing the "full version is now available for you to buy". Hey, it worked for Lord of the Rings three years running!

Of course, that's just off the top of my head and may not be legally sound.

Hey Chewy,

You haven't thought about this before, have you?

A McJob! That's awesome!

I'd get a good lawyer I suppose, and then go in to debt for the rest of my natural life on legal expenses.