WWLegal.com :: BBC Opens News Archives to UK Public

BBC Opens News Archives to UK Public
Posted on Wednesday, January 04, 2006 - 12:00 AM

For the first time in its history BBC News is opening its archives to the UK public for a trial period. You can download nearly 80 news reports covering iconic events of the past 50 years including the fall of the Berlin Wall, crowds ejecting soldiers from Beijing's Tiananmen Square and behind-the-scenes footage of the England team prior to their victory over West Germany in 1966.

The clips are being offered as part of a pilot trial in the UK, as part of their "Creative Commons" licensing project. This is the second such trial to be offered by the BBC, the first being the release of 100 audio program clips from Radio 1.

The Creative Commons license allows anyone to download and use the video clips for any purpose, with certain stipulations, including that "The material is only available for people in the United Kingdom".

The BBC website allows you to browse all video clips but when you go to download them, the server checks your IP address to see if you are coming from outside the UK. If you are, a reminder about the Creative Commons license rules is displayed instead but no download is allowed.