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If you want to show public performance of a movie for an event, you have to purchase the
rights to do this. This usually costs around $900 to get the rights for a movie showing. Contact Student Activities saintslife@css.edu to find out the price for the movie you want to use. http://colleges.swankmp.com/understanding-copyright. Student Activities purchases movie rights through Swank.
What is considered a Public Performance?
The concept of "public performance" is central to copyright. The circumstances that constitute public performance are clearly defined in the law: "A place open to the public or any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family or its social acquaintances are gathered."
The"Education Exemption"
Under the "Education Exemption," copyrighted movies may be exhibited in a college without a license only if the movie exhibition is:
- An "integral part of a class session" and is of "material assistance to the teaching content." Supervised by a teacher in a classroom.
- Attended only by students enrolled in a registered class of an accredited nonprofit educational institution.
- Lawfully made using a movie that has been legally produced and obtained through rental or purchase.
Understanding the Law
The Federal Copyright Act (Title 17, United States code, Public Law 94-553, 90 Stat.2541) governs how copyrighted materials, such as movies, may be utilized publicly. Neither the rental nor the purchase or lending of a video cassette or DVD carries with it the rights to exhibit such a movie publicly outside the home, unless the site where the video is used is properly licensed for copyright compliant exhibition. This legal copyright compliance requirement applies to colleges, universities, public schools, public libraries, daycare facilities, parks, recreation departments, summer camps, churches, private clubs, prisons, lodges, businesses, etc. regardless of whether admission is charged, whether the institution is commercial or non-profit or whether a federal, state or local agency is involved. The movie studios, who own copyrights, and their agents, are the only parties who are authorized to license sites such as colleges and universities. No other group or person has the right to exhibit or license exhibitions of copyrighted movies. Furthermore, copyrighted movies borrowed from other sources such as public libraries, colleges, personal collections, etc. cannot be used legally for showings in colleges or universities or in any other site which is not properly licensed.