Research Guides: Copyright: Public Performance Rights

Index

Topics on this guide include:

Wright State Policy

Wright State University

Ask the Author

An author may grant limited use of his or her copyrighted material. Direct contact with an author may help you to resolve questions of use.

Copyright Assistance

For assistance with copyright questions, Wright State students, staff, and faculty should contact:

Wright State University Office of General Counsel

US Copyright Office

US Copyright Law

US Copyright FAQ

Fair Use Doctrine

(Libraries Fair Use Guide)

Creator's Guide

This guide includes information for obtaining performance rights and permissions.

What are Public Performance Rights and why do I need them?

Public Performance Rights (PPR) grant the legal right to show a film or other media publicly. Without obtaining PPR, showing a film in a public setting violates the owner's copyright. Obtaining the rights for a public performance prevents possible legal action.

When is a performance considered "public?"

A public performance is one that is "open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered." (17 USC 106)

This includes any screening outside of the regular curriculum in the classroom, such as showing films for extracurricular events, or sponsored events by a center, club, or organizations.

Are there instances that do not require obtaining public performance rights?

Viewing a film at home or in the classroom "in the course of face-to-face teaching activities" as part of the regular curriculum is not considered a public performance (17 USC 110).

Using films from University Libraries

Some films have public performance rights included with the Libraries' purchase or subscription. In addition to films from the following companies, some films might have been purchased with public performance rights. Look for a note in the catalog record that a film indicates "includes public performance rights."

Bullfrog Films
All films from Bullfrog Films were purchased with Public Performance Rights. Specifically, "Our programs come with public performance rights, which is the right to show the film in public provided no admission fee is charged. This does NOT include the right to show the film on television or online, only the right to show the film in public to any audience where the projector and audience are in the same room."
more...less...
http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/faq.html#prices
California Newsreel
All films from California Newsreel were purchased with Public Performance Rights. Specifically, these films can be shown in settings, "including in-class instruction, course-management software, library reference, distance learning, extracurricular programming and performances open to the public provided no admission is charged (public performance) for the life of the DVD. Streaming without password protection to the larger web or via youtube are prohibited under this license."
more...less...
http://newsreel.org/California-Newsreel-FAQ

Obtaining Public Performance Rights

The responsibility to secure public performance rights lies with the individual or organization showing the film. Use the company's search function to find whether they own the rights to the film you wish to show. Most will have an option available to request a quote for obtaining the public performance rights to the film. Some common companies that license public performance rights include:

Swank Motion Pictures, Inc.
Lincenses public performances of feature films and television from studios such as Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM, Columbia Picutres, and NBC Universal. Search for a film using the box in the top right. Information about the film will also include a "request a quote" option for pricing information.
Criterion Pictures
Lincenses public performances of feature films from studios such as Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Fox SearchLight, and DreamWorks. Search for a title at the top right of the page. The "request a quote" option is in the main menu bar.
KinoLorberEdu
Licenses public performances of films, specializing in art-house and international films. Search for a film using the bar in the upper right; each film has information about the price of purchasing the film with various rights. If it is for a film you or the University Libraries already owns, check the "licensing" option in the main menu bar across the page.
Motion Picture Licensing Corporation
MPLC issues an umbrella license for all of its content, rather than individual licenses.
Netflix Media Center - grant of permission for educational screenings
Most films on Netflix do not include Public Performance Rights. Some, however, include a grant of permission for public screenings that allows for a one-time, free public showing of the film. To find whether a film has the permission, search for it by title in the Netflix Media Center. (For an example of the grant of permission, search on White Helmets.)

Disclaimer

The Copyright Information Guide is provided by the University Libraries as an educational service to the University community. The information contained in this guide is not legal advice. Individuals and organizations should consult the Wright State University Office of the General Counsel or their own attorney.