Public Performance Rights Purchasing Public Performance Licenses May be Needed to Show Films
Public performance rights are the legal rights held by distributors or producers over the showing of a
film outside of one’s home. The rights-holder can grant others the temporary right to show the film by
selling them or granting them a public performance license.
Anytime a film is shown outside a person’s home, the screening is considered "public". It does not matter
if admission is charged or if the entity screening the film is a non-profit organization, school, or library.
If the film is being shown outside the home, it is considered "public".
The Copyright Act allows films to be screened in face-to-face teaching situations defined by specific criteria.
To be eligible for the teaching exemption, the screening is limited to students who are enrolled in a class in
which the film is a part of systematic mediated instructional activities, the instructor is present, and the
screening is an integral part of the classroom session. Playing films for the department, for honors students,
or as a "film series" or lecture series does not qualify for the teaching exemption, but requires a public performance
license. A completed Classroom Related Motion Picture Viewing form must accompany the licensing agreement.
Most tapes and DVDs are sold without public performance rights, but some tapes and DVDs are sold with limited
public performance rights. They may enable you to play the tape/DVD for its lifetime in public screenings on
your campus. However, you may not copy the tape/DVD or lend the tape/DVD to other institutions or organizations,
or charge admission for the screenings you hold with that tape/DVD. These rules may vary, so check carefully with
the distributor when purchasing.
The cost to purchase public performance licensing for a film varies by age of the film, popularity of the film,
and at times the distributor. Films that are 6 months to 1 year old can be $450-$650. Films 1 year to 3 years
old can be $350-$450. Films older than 3 years can be $250-$350. Specialty films (documentaries & art house
films) can be $0-$250. However, specialty films can be very difficult to find the proper licensing holder.
If you wish to show a film outside of a classroom environment, a Non-Classroom Motion Picture Viewing form must
accompany the licensing agreement.
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