The National Model Railroad Association, Inc., strictly prohibits individuals or companies from videotaping clinics or other presentations during the national convention, or streaming video (live or taped) from the national convention, unless all of the following requirements are met:

1. Regardless of whether the company or individual is a for-profit or not-for-profit entity, they must submit to NMRA headquarters (HQ) a notification of intent to videotape or stream. clinic or presentation content. If that party is a company, that company must be specifically identified along with an authorized representative of that company. That document must specify by name exactly which clinics/presentations the company/individual intends to videotape. A copy should be sent to both the Chief Administration Officer (CAO) at NMRA Headquarters (who will be in charge of overall administration and record keeping of this program) and the manager of the Meetings & Train Show department (who will be the arbiter of any issues that arise regarding this procedure during the convention). NMRA HQ will then acknowledge to the individual or company the receipt of that notification in a timely manner.
2. NMRA HQ will notify the clinician that an individual or company intends to videotape or stream his/her presentation(s) (as stated by name), and will send the clinician a videotaping/streaming agreement for each clinic, which must be signed and returned to NMRA HQ. The agreement grants the individual/company the right to videotape/stream, and the right to use the resultant video production in any manner it chooses for up to two years.
3. Once NMRA HQ has received the clinician’s signed agreement, a formal agreement will be sent to the individual/company for their signature. The agreement will restate the NMRA’s video policy stipulations, and will also re-state the specific clinic titles which are intended to be taped/streamed. This document must be returned to and acknowledged by NMRA HQ before any videotaping/streaming may take place.
4. NMRA HQ will retain the signed agreement in its records, and also forward a copy to the Meetings & Train Show department manager. The individual/company who is videotaping must bring a copy of the agreement to the convention as proof to the Convention Committee, any NMRA official, or the clinician that s/he has been granted permission to videotape/stream.
5. The introduction and ending of the edited or broadcast presentation must contain the following on-screen verbiage: This presentation was recorded at the (YEAR) National Model Railroad Association National Convention in (CITY NAME).
6. In addition, the NMRA logo must appear. The words must remain on-screen for a minimum of 6 seconds. The presentation name and speakers or principal participants must also be named. For example:“Handlaying Turnouts” presented by Tony Koester
7. A “ghosted” NMRA logo must appear in the lower right of the screen, and must remain on screen for the entire duration of the presentation. The logo must be large enough to be legible. This graphic should be similar to what television stations across the country are currently doing.
8. In the case of videotaped productions, a master copy of the edited program must be given to the NMRA, with the understanding that the NMRA also has the right to stream that video from its website following a six month waiting period after the program was taped. This six month window allows the individual/production company exclusivity for that period of time. After that time the NMRA can transfer the video to disc and allow members to borrow it from the Kalmbach Memorial Library, or can stream it from its own website.
9. In the case of videotaped productions, a copy of the resultant production must also be sent to the clinician whose presentation was taped/streamed
10. In the case of videotaped productions, no production can be posted or distributed before the NMRA acknowledges and approves the individual’s/production company’s intent to videotape.
11. Videotaped productions may be used by the individual/production company in any manner it chooses for up to two years. Should the company wish to use the production beyond two years, it must state its intent to NMRA HQ, who must then notify and receive approval from the clinician. The NMRA, the clinician, and the individual/company will agree upon a duration for use at that time.

The above videotaping policy needs to be plainly stated prior to the convention, in both the convention handout booklet and on the convention website. In addition it needs to be made available to HQ so that individuals emailing, calling, or writing enquiring about taping/streaming may be made aware of the policy.

The NMRA must notify all clinicians and presenters that there is a possibility that an individual or company may be videotaping or streaming their presentation, and that they will be notified beforehand. The clinician or presenter has the right to deny the individual or company videotaping rights. This denial can be for any reason, ranging from the use of copyrighted material in the presentation, to unease in front of a camera. The production company or individual needs to know and agree that the clinician or presenter has the final word on this.

end of policy statement