Over the last several months the staff of FE.org has been discussing the changing landscape of film and television distribution. As more of these move to streaming-only subscription services, we’ve had to find a balance we’ve always strived for. We want to ensure those producing the works we love have time to profit from their work prior. This is the reason for our hold on new releases.
But the writing is on the wall. We have to change with the times and have come up with what we believe is a fair approach to allowing fanedits from subscription services. Beginning today we will allow fanedits of exclusive content from streaming services. This means you are allowed to capture a show/movie that is exclusive to a streaming platform. You cannot use a torrent, and if the title is available for purchase either physically or digitally you must use that as your source.
Example: Star Wars: The Force Awakens is released on Blu-ray/DVD and is available for purchase through iTunes and Amazon. It’s also available to stream on Disney+. If you want to do an edit of Star Wars: The Force Awakens you must purchase the Blu-ray/DVD or purchase a digital copy from iTunes or Amazon. You cannot capture it from Disney+ and use that.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is released on Disney+. There is no way to purchase it either on Blu-ray/DVD or as a digital copy. If you have a subscription to Disney+ you are allowed to capture your own copy (no torrenting) to edit.
The release window for fanedits of titles exclusive to streaming platforms is different than physical/digital purchase releases. Fanedits of physical/digital purchased films and shows will remain at 15 days before they can be submitted to IFDB. Fanedits of titles released exclusively to streaming platforms will have to wait 365 days before being submitted to IFDB. While this is a long wait, it’s to protect FE.org and the community but also to ensure those involved in the production have time to recoup their investment. It also allows time for a physical release to become available should the streaming service wish to do so. If at any point a physical release or digital download is made available, the editor and anyone viewing the associated fanedit will need to purchase said content.
Because this is uncharted territory, this will be a trial run of sorts. If at any point we feel that allowing this new option is threatening the safety of the site or the fanedit community at large, we may end or restrict streaming media as an option. We may also choose to restrict specific titles or services.
If you have questions or need clarification please ask in this forum post.