FAQ
About NHK Video Bank
Q.
How many visual materials does your archive hold?
A.
NHK archive holds over 1,600,000 programs and 9,000,000 news items that NHK has aired over the past 90 years.
Q.
What kind of material do you have?
A.
We have a wide range of visual items, including but not limited to historical black and white news footage, the latest news, nature, disaster, underwater, aerial shots and many more. Please contact us for further information.
Q.
May I use NHK Video Bank service for my own personal use and/or for research purposes?
A.
NHK Video Bank services cannot be used for personal use and/or research purposes.
Q.
May I use NHK video footage free of charge?
A.
No, we do not provide footage free of charge. Please contact us for footage licensing requests.
Q.
Do you grant licences in perpetuity?
A.
No, we do not grant perpetuity rights. The maximum term is 10 years and it is renewable.
Q.
Do you license still pictures as well as video footage?
A.
Yes. We license still pictures, video footage and audio materials from NHK archives.
Q.
May I sublicense NHK footage to a third party?
A.
No. You may not sublicense NHK footage to a third party under any circumstances.
Q.
Do you provide 4K footage? How about 8K?
A.
Yes, we provide 4K footage. At this point, 8K footage is not available for licensing.
Q.
May I use NHK video footage for commercial uses?
A.
Yes, however, we can not allow commercial use for the following:
- content that suggests that NHK is promoting or endorsing a product or service
- advertisement that advocates a certain ideology (political, religious, etc.)
Q.
Do you license footage of the general public?
A.
Due to confidentiality, we do not licence footage containing shots of the general public where the individual can be identified.
Q.
Are there any limitations or restrictions for airing footage of disasters?
A.
Disaster footage can be licensed and used for news reporting purposes or in documentary films only.
Q.
May I use footage of shrines, temples and/or Japanese traditional architecture that aired on NHK?
A.
Written consent of the owner of the relevant intellectual property rights is required prior to licensing the footage.
Q.
May I use footage of sport that aired on NHK?
A.
Written consent of the rights owner is required prior to licensing the footage.
Q.
Once I submit a first contact to request footage, how long does it take to receive the final master copy?
A.
It will take at least a week, so please make sure to contact us ahead of time.
Q.
Do you licence full programs that aired on NHK?
A.
No, we only licence footage. Please contact NHK Enterprises, inc. (info-w@nhk-ep.co.jp) for licencing whole programs.
Q.
May I licence aired news clips with anchors' comments?
A.
No, we cannot licence news footage with comments, narration, subtitles, on-air talents (anchors, reporters, etc.), studio scenes or weather reports.
About Research
Q.
Can I access the archive directly? Can I search for materials by ourselves?
A.
No, you may not access our archives directly. Please leave that to our experienced researchers and they will provide precise results.
Q.
How much does research cost?
A.
We conduct up to 2 hours of research for 6,000JPY. Additional fees may apply for further research.
Q.
How long does research take?
A.
Depending on how specific your request is, you will receive a report within 3 working days. However, if your search items are numerous, it could take longer.
Q.
What language should I use to inquire?
A.
Please write to us either in English or Japanese
Q.
How will we receive the search results?
A.
We provide a research report which includes the footage ID, broadcast date, a brief description and duration of the footage via email.
Q.
Do you license audio material without images?
A.
Yes, we license audio material as requested.
About Screening
Q.
Can I view the screener online?
A.
Yes. You will receive a low-resolution, downloadable time-coded screener in wmv.format.
Q.
The image quality of the screener is low. Can you fix it?
A.
We downsample the video solely for the screener. The master copy you receive will be a high resolution copy.
Q.
Can I borrow a DVD and watch the material?
A.
If you are based in or visiting Tokyo, you are welcome to come to our office and screen videos. We charge 2,000JPY per hour for screening in our office. You can not remove materials from our office.
Q.
What is the format of the screener?
A.
We send you a downloadable time-coded screener in wmv format.
Q.
What should I do once I have watched the screener?
A.
Please give us the onscreen in/out timecodes of the footage you wish to use for your production.
Q.
Can I request specific footage by referring to a video found on YouTube?
A.
Yes, please send us the YouTube video URL and the timecodes of the part(s) you wish to use.
About Rights Clearance
Q.
In what case am I required to work on rights clearance?
A.
When the footage is of or filmed inside a private property or is of private people who have not consented to publication, written consent of the owner of the relevant intellectual property rights is required prior to licensing the footage.
Q.
Who will work on rights clearance or obtaining permissions from third parties?
A.
You are required to do so.
Q.
What should I submit as evidence of obtaining third partys' consent?
A.
You are requested to send us written consent of the the relevant intellectual property rights holder, prior to licensing the footage.
Q.
Can you clear third party rights on our behalf?
A.
Yes. Please note that you will be charged JPY3,000 for each clearance we coordinate on your behalf.
About License Agreement
Q.
Can I use our contract form as a license agreement?
A.
No. We can only accept the license agreement furnished and revised by NHK.
Q.
May I modify some parts of the license agreement?
A.
No. We only accept the license agreement furnished and revised by NHK. Please consult us if there are specific issues of concern.
Q.
May I use footage we have licensed previously for another forthcoming project?
A.
No. You will have to apply for a separate license for re-use of NHK footage.
Q.
I want to expand the distribution media. Can I simply pay an additional fee to do so?
A.
Please contact us if you wish to change the term/area/media of content distribution. We will inform you of the requirements for license extension/renewal.
Q.
Should I include an NHK credit in our production?
A.
You are required to include the credit, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), in relation to the footage in the end titles of the production and to include an appropriate licensee copyrights notice in the production.
Q.
Is there any fee that may apply after signing the license agreement?
A.
You will be required to inform us of what length of NHK footage was used in your production, then we will issue an invoice for the appropriate license fee.
About Master copy
Q.
What is the master copy format?
A.
We can convert the file format as requested.
The options are as follows:
QuickTime file H.264, Apple ProRes 422(HQ)
Q.
Is there any fee that may apply when receiving a master copy?
A.
We charge 16,600JPY for providing up to 10 minutes of master copy. Additional charges may apply for any amount exceeding 10 minutes of material.
Q.
Can I receive a master copy in 16:9 fomat?
A.
We provide master copy in the format of the original material unless requested otherwise.
Q.
May I modify or edit the video?
A.
Applying mosaic, blurring, trimming, changing saturation or adding digital artwork are not allowed on any of the videos licensed from NHK International.
Q.
If I am not happy with the quality of the master copy, can you send me a higher quality image as long as the agreement is valid?
A.
Yes, as long as the original material is still preserved in the archives.
Q.
Can I get a full refund if the quality of the footage is not broadcast quality?
A.
We suggest you to inspect the footage within 10 business days of receipt and to notify us of any defects within that period. Due to technological limitations, the master copy may not be of broadcast quality.
Q.
The master copy I received doesn't contain audio data. Is that an error?
A.
It is possible that the attached audio material was not licensable or the original material didn't contain the audio data when registered in our archive. If you think there has been an error, please let your researcher know within 10 business days of receipt.
About Payment
Q.
Can you give me a license fee rate table?
A.
We don't have a fixed rate. Please contact us about the license fee for your specific project. One of our researchers will calculate and give you an estimated license fee and additional fees that may apply.
Q.
Can you give me an estimated license fee?
A.
We will calculate and estimate the license fee according to the term, area and media of your use of footage. Please provide details about your production to get an estimate.
Q.
May I pay by credit card?
A.
Yes. We accept payment via wire transfer or by credit card.
Q.
May I make payment in currencies other than Japanese Yen?
A.
We only issue invoices in Japanese Yen and accept payment in Japanese yen. Please pay according to the currency exchange rate on the day of when make a payment.
Q.
Does the total charge listed in the agreement include tax and other fees?
A.
The fees and costs are net and exclusive of value added and/or other similar taxes, sales taxes and other taxes which may be payable thereon. You are required to pay all such taxes.
Q.
What are the payment methods?
A.
You can choose to pay via wire transfer or by credit card.
Q.
Will I be charged a wire transfer fee?
A.
You are required to bear all bank charges and fees associated with your bank transfer. The invoiced amount must be paid in full.
Q.
When is the payment due date?
A.
Payment is due within 30 days of the issue of the invoice.
Q.
What happens if we fail to make payment in time?
A.
We are entitled to charge interest on overdue payments calculated on a daily basis at the rate of 8% per annum from the payment due date until we receive the full payment.