It is illegal to copy radio and TV broadcasts and use them for anything other than domestic purposes, unless you have a licence to do so. The University subscribes to the Educational Recording Agency (ERA) licensing scheme, which establishes the conditions under which you are allowed to make recordings for educational purposes. The ERA licence permits teaching staff to:

• record and copy all cable and broadcast programmes for educational purposes EXCEPT Open University and Open College programmes, which are subject to a separate agreement;
• keep recorded material indefinitely, for use at any time;
• make recordings for educational purposes at home;
• make copies available through the University libraries for loan purposes, provided the library and its borrowers are educational establishments.

All recordings and copies must be labelled to show the title of the programme and the date on which it was recorded, together with a clear statement that "this recording is to be used only for educational purposes".

The ERA licence does not permit:

• performance of recordings to a public or private audience for payment;
• copying of tapes, videos, records and CDs;
• sale of the recorded material;
• adaptation or modification of the work. (The practice of selecting relevant extracts is not generally seen as "adapting" a programme.)

Audio-Visual Presentation Services offers an ERA recording facility for staff. It can also provide further details of the scheme, and supply labels for recorded tapes and record cards on request.

Recordings of Open University and Open College programmes must be registered by Audio-Visual Presentation Services if used for educational purposes and are also subject to the payment of a licensing fee. Visit www.avps.soton.ac.uk/tvrec.shtml for more information.