Stanford Law School made a splash at this year’s celebration of Academy Award documentary nominees in Beverly Hills, California, announcing an innovative initiative supporting documentary filmmakers. Teaming with Media/Professional Insurance and intellectual property attorney Michael Donaldson, the Fair Use Project of Stanford Law’s Center for Internet and Society will provide legal support for filmmakers who rely on the “fair use” of copyrighted material in their films.

“Documentary filmmakers who use copyrighted materials in their work under the ‘fair use’ doctrine of copyright law have come under tremendous pressure in the face of demands for huge licensing fees from copyright holders and overly aggressive enforcement of copyrights,” explains Lawrence Lessig, founder and director of the Center for Internet and Society and the C. Wendell and Edith M. Carlsmith Professor of Law at Stanford Law School.

As part of the intiative, the Fair Use Project will offer pro bono representation to selected filmmakers who comply with the Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use (www.centerforsocialmedia.org/fairuse). And Media/Professional will provide insurance coverage against copyright infringement liability in the event the filmmaker proves unsuccessful in defending the claim. In situations where the Fair Use Project can’t help, Donaldson and other attorneys will be available to defend claims at favorable rates.

The initiative will be guided by an advisory board that includes documentary filmmakers Kirby Dick, Davis Guggenheim, Arthur Dong, and Haskell Wexler; professors Peter Jaszi and Lawrence Lessig; Fair Use Project Executive Director Anthony Falzone; and attorney Michael Donaldson