I taped an Alan Watts half hour audio program from KPFK radio
airwaves. KPFK is a listener-sponsored public radio station (one of
the pacifica stations) in Los Angeles and I regularly donate money to
it.
 
I would like to know under what conditions is it ethical and legal to
post a personally produced transcript of this taped program to one of
my websites and make it available for website visitors?
 
This transcript would be posted in a non-subscription or non-password
protected webpage freely accessible to all with the sole intent to
educationally benefit the potential reader.

I am not legally-minded so I need a specific yes or no response if
possible. I would like to know if it is legal for me to take a taped
30 min. Alan Watts program off the KPFK airwaves transcribe it and
post it on the web for all to read. If it is legal or not please
provide the legal basis and/or justification.

Hello creepo-ga,

It seems that the half-hour Alan Watts programs all come from Pacifica
Radio Archives.  On the page I cite below, you can see this for
September 28, and if you click on "Previous Week's Shows", you can see
the same thing for previous Sundays.

"Program Schedule" [scroll down to "ALAN WATTS Sunday, Sept. 28,
8:30-9am", about 1/5 down the page] ["Previous Week's Shows" link is
near the top of the page]
KPFK
http://www.kpfk.org/programs/program_SH_20030929.shtml

The policies of Pacifica Radio Archives put a number of restrictions
on the use of its recorded sound material.  Included among these
policies are fees for "Permission to Quote Recorded Sound Material as
Text".

"Policies" [see especially "Access Policy"]
Pacifica Radio Archives
http://www.pacificaradioarchives.org/learn/policies.php

So the owner of the programs appears to believe that its material
cannot be freely transcribed and transmitted.  As the disclaimer at
the bottom of this answer page explains, answers on Google Answers are
not legal advice.  But as a matter of common sense, and common
understanding of copyrighted material (as reflected in serenata-ga's
answer to your previous question), you would want to check with
Pacifica Radio Archives before posting a transcript of one of its
recordings on the Web.

- justaskscott-ga


Search terms used on Google:

kpfk "alan watts"
kpfk "alan watts" transcripts
kpfk "alan watts" 8:30

[I also browsed the KPFK and Pacifica Radio Archives web sites.]

It's a definite no-no.  A transcript is a derivative work.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/101.html
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/106.html
http://www.bitlaw.com/copyright/scope.html#derivative