Mark asks: I have a question about public access television broadcasts of government meetings. Lets say that somebody were to record a meeting from public access and take a 'segment' of that meeting and produce a movie which could go onto the internet. The 'segment' would fully encapsulated, nothing added, subtracted or modified.... shown as it was shown from the public airwaves. Who owns the copyright? Since this is a public meeting, is there a copyright? Are there any laws which allow or deny ones ability to do this?

Jacob asks: I shoot Bar Mitzvah videos for a production company as a freelancer. I was recently notified that if I choose to work for another Bar/Bat Mitzvah company we would be fired. He has also claimed us as ''his'' videographers and wants to charge other companies a fee if they would like to hire us. Keep in mind that he did not set up the relationship between the videographers and these other companies, we've had contact with them on our own. He claims it's a conflict of interest and a matter of ethics. Can he do these things? What are my legal rights as a freelancer?

Byron asks: I want to start a series of UFC fighting videos in my backyard. Is it illegal for consenting adults to fight on private property with regulation boxing gloves & mouth protection inside a ring with referee and paramedic?

Richard asks: As a retired Federal employee and producer/director of internationally broadcast news and information programming for the State Dept and VOA. I was always told that unclassified federally funded productions and stills were in the public domain. Is this true and does it include NASA Video and animations?

I am thinking of starting an online movie download service, and would need legal advice on what hoops to go through (legally) before I start.

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Theater Law