The Union for the Public Domain board has passed a resolution in support of Downhill Battle's campaign to organize screenings of the U.S. civil rights documentary, "Eyes on the Prize":

UPD BOARD RESOLUTION

Whereas, the award-winning US documentary film series "Eyes on the Prize" on the US civil rights movement -- called "the principal film account of the most important American social movement of the 20th century" by one expert -- has not been available for public viewing for the past 10 years;

Whereas, copyright laws and related licensing restrictions have been the chief barrier to this lack of access,

Whereas, "Eyes on the Prize" will be screened over the Internet and in public showings across the US as part of Black History Month (February), despite the objections of various corporations and others that hold copyrights on songs and historic footage that appear in the documentary; the documentary maker is deceased.

We, the board of the Union for the Public Domain,

(1) endorse the work of the group "Downhill Battle" in organizing these screenings and making this important documentary available to the public, and

(2) call upon national governments to implement specific limitations to copyright that permit such works to be shown, when the social, cultural, educational or developmental benefit of a use outweigh the costs imposed by it on private parties.