Hello,
I am working on a cartoon and there will many scenes about animals, like a lion running and eating a zebra. The lions and zebras will be the models designed and built by ourselves. But for some move of animals, like running and hunting, I'd like to take some documentary for reference. I am thinking that, if I copy every move of the process of lions hunting a zebra, is this a copyright infringement? like this: https://youtu.be/KmR6gZDKic0 I cut the scenes from several videos here and going to copy the move of the animals. The background, animal models will be made by ourselves. I doubt the moves of these animals can be copyrighted.
Hope I make sense to you! Thanks.
Can I copy the animals moving in documentary ?
Hi Halie,
The actual movements of the lion and the zebra are obviously natural phenomena and so are not protected by copyright. The videographer who made the film is entitled to copyright in his/her recording, including the choice of camera angle, filming position, editing, etc but not the actual animal movements which he/she did not create. Since it is only movements you wish to replicate in your cartoon, that will not infringe any copyright.
The actual movements of the lion and the zebra are obviously natural phenomena and so are not protected by copyright. The videographer who made the film is entitled to copyright in his/her recording, including the choice of camera angle, filming position, editing, etc but not the actual animal movements which he/she did not create. Since it is only movements you wish to replicate in your cartoon, that will not infringe any copyright.
Advice or comment provided here is not and does not purport to be legal advice as defined by s.12 of Legal Services Act 2007