Separate viewing from publication
British Pathé’s own information states that use of footage from its site requires a licence. That is a different question from whether a viewer can open a clip in a browser. A visible player, a familiar news image or the historical age of the event does not supply the terms for republishing an extract in your own upload, presentation or commercial production.
Define what you actually want to do
Watching a clip privately, linking to its official page and incorporating footage into another work are different actions. Before asking about reuse, identify the clip and describe the proposed project, audience and distribution. A vague request for any archive video gives the holder less useful information than the exact material and use. Do not assume a download button, where supplied, answers every rights question.
Keep evidence attached to a permission
If a holder gives terms for a particular use, retain the relevant correspondence or licence and the precise item reference. Do not generalise that permission to every clip in the archive or a different project. Equally, an example of someone else using a shot does not show what arrangements they made. Their published video is evidence of their publication, not of your own permission.
Use an ordinary authorised link when that meets the need
For a viewing recommendation or a family discussion, an official item link may be all you need to share the discovery. If the project requires new reproduction, follow the archive’s current licensing information. This avoids turning a simple film recommendation into an unsupported claim that archival material is free to reuse simply because it can be watched online.
Questions, answered
Does free viewing automatically mean free reuse?
No. Viewing access and reproduction permission are separate.
Does the age of a filmed event settle rights in the footage?
No. Check the relevant holder’s terms for the actual material and proposed use.