Edmund Heaphy | Deputy Editor
Several societies have accused Trinity College Students’ Union (TCDSU) of copyright infringement, The University Times understands. According to several sources, numerous clips used in the union’s “Welcome to Trinity” video were used without adequate licensing.
Sources within DU Players and Trinity Orchestra have confirmed that videos filmed on behalf of their respective societies were used in the video, which was released on Sunday as part of TCDSU’s “Know Your Union” week. Both sources confirm that there was no way the union or any party acting on behalf of the union could have gained permission to use the videos.
Speaking to The University Times, the Auditor of Trinity Orchestra, Kevin Bluett, confirmed “that some Trinity Orchestra footage within the video was used without permission”, saying: “I hope they contact societies beforehand for future videos as we, for example, would be more than happy to share when credit is shown and permission is given.”
After discussions with TCDSU, proper credit for the Trinity Orchestra footage has been appended to the video and cited in other locations, Bluett said. He went on to say that he accepted “it was just a blunder and that there were clearly good intentions behind the video”, and urged the union “to continue promoting Trinity and the interests of students in the future.”
DU Players, when contacted for an official response, said that they had no comment to make on the issue.
When asked for comment on the matter, Domhnall McGlacken-Byrne, President of TCDSU, agreed that, given these two instances, there were likely more instances of copyright infringement in the video. It is understood that the video was created on behalf of the union by a collective called Zooku Creative, and that the understanding of the union up until the point of the allegations of infringement was that all of the footage used in the video was used under license from a content provider called Scope Media.
McGlacken-Byrne went on to say: “Anybody who has expressed unhappiness with the video has immediately received an explanation and an honest apology.”
In response to some suggestions that TCDSU were attempting to take credit for the work of societies by showcasing them in a union video, he said:
“This video was put together to showcase to incoming and returning students alike all that Trinity has to offer. I am not interested in taking credit for what I have not organised.”
He said he was “interested in trying to make Trinity a better place to come to university and helping students reach their potential”.
