Copyright law is complex and subject to change. This guide is intended as a general reference only and cannot substitute for legal advice.
Public Performance Rights -- General Information
If you want to show a film or video for a conference, festival, educational program or other event, you probably need public performance rights (PPR). Because copyright law spells out quite specifically the requirements for an educational exception for the use of audiovisual material, most event programming falls outside the permitted uses. Copyright covers the playing or "performance" of these materials (as well as plays, music, etc.) because the creator of a work has the exclusive right to publicly perform the work.
When Are Public Performance Rights Required?
The following situations DO NOT require public performance rights:
The following situations DO require public performance rights:
If an event entails showing clips or limited portions of films, this use may qualify under fair use.
What about the Library?
The library DOES NOT pay for public performance rights (PPR) on most of the audiovisual material we buy. Many companies do not sell blanket PPR licenses, nor would we need them for most of our material, which are used in classes or by individuals. We do buy them for a few select titles, if they are available as a one-time purchase.
The library can help you identify whether a specific title owned by the library has PPR.
How do you get a Public Performance License?
Most public performance rights are licensed for a specific use, with charges based on the age and popularity of the title, whether viewers will be charged for admission, and the anticipated number of attendees. It is the responsibility of the organizer of the event to pay the appropriate fees.
Start by going through the three principal contacts for licensing performance rights:
If you can't find what you need, the library can help you find who to contact in order to acquire PPR. You may need to contact the original producer or distributor. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to secure rights to certain independent, foreign, and older films because of the difficulty of locating the rights holder.
Copyright law is complex and subject to change. This guide is intended as a general reference only and cannot substitute for legal advice.