Use of Entertainment Videos for Family Night

Jan 19

Posted by admin in License, Public Performance, Video | Comments off

Q. May we use an entertainment video, rented from a neighborhood rental store, for a family night at our school?

A. The use of entertainment videos for a public showing, with or without an admittance charge, requires a public performance license. Your neighborhood rental agency is not empowered to grant such a license.

Movie Licensing USA represents a number of well known production companies, such as Disney, Universal Studios, Dreamworks etc., that by the payment of an annual fee, per student at your school, it covers your school’s use of any entertainment video for use in the school for non-instructional purposes. This would include using it for the purpose you intend, with the requirement that the video title could not be used in any promotional piece or advertising and no admission charge is made for viewing the movie.

Once having the license, videos may be obtained by purchase, rental, loan, or by donation to the school.

You may contact Movie Licensing USA at 877-321-1300 or on the web at www.movlic.com. On the web you will find a listing of all the potential uses of entertainment videos covered by the license and the terms and restrictions of use.

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Use of TV Commercials

Jan 16

Posted by admin in Video | Comments off

Q. Would it be acceptable to air a few commercials, via closed circuit TV throughout our school, to be used for a comparison/contrast lesson in each teacher’s classroom? The commercials were taped off-air, not from cable.

A. Currently, the only direct, off-air permissions for educators are part of the Off-air Taping Guidelines. Those guidelines permit the taping and presentation in a classroom, but make no stated provision for airing over a closed circuit system. Without any explicit permission being granted, it then becomes a matter of interpretation, under the general concept of Fair Use, as to whether the material may be used. Potentially, for instructional use, brief segments, rather than complete programs, might fall under the general category of Fair Use, but, once again, that is only one possible interpretation

You might consult with your institution’s attorney for an official position to be taken, since the Off-air taping Guidelines make no provision for closed circuit redistribution of content taped off-air. Using stand-alone, in a classroom, is generally considered permissible.

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