Copyright and Fair Use

How to Obtain Public Performance Rights

There are several vendors who assist with obtaining public performance rights. For some films, you may contact the rights holder or production company specifically. You will need to determine how to obtain public performance rights for each film on an individual basis. Often, there will be a fee associated with showing a film, particularly for major motion pictures. 

If you would like a librarian to assist with obtaining public performance rights, please read our Procedures for Obtaining Public Performance Rights for Campus Film Screenings. Any faculty member, staff member, or department may handle the public performance rights process independent of the Library if they so desire. However, proof that performance rights have been granted should be readily available if needed. Student organizations must contact Student Life if planning a campus film screening.

Screening rights for Library-owned films

Some of the films or streaming video collections the library already owns/licenses include rights for public performances. See the information below for more on which films/collections are permitted to be screened outside of the classroom. 

Swank Motion Pictures, Inc.

Swank provides movies and movie licensing to colleges, K-12 schools, public libraries and dozens of other entities that want to show films legally on their property. We work with everyone from the best studios in Hollywood to the most innovative indie film companies to help individuals turn everyday events into extraordinary experiences. (from "What We Do FAQ")

Films that the library has licensed for educational use through Swank Digital Campus do not include public performance rights. A separate license for a public performance must be obtained from Swank. 

Criterion Pictures, U.S.A.

Criterion Pictures is one of the largest non-theatrical providers of feature films in North America. In the United States, Criterion has exclusive relationships with some of Hollywood's largest film Studios, such as 20th Century Fox, Fox SearchLight, Troma Films, New Concorde, among others. (from About Us)

Library-owned DVDs with Public Performance Rights

The library has a small collection of DVDs that were purchased with public performance rights.

Kanopy Streaming Videos

The Library's current subscription to Kanopy allows for group showings of films that are limited to RVCC students, faculty and staff and for which no admission fee is charged. Films must be screened at an in-person event; Kanopy prohibits streaming over technology like Zoom. For virtual events, invite attendees to view the film on their own time, then attend your virtual event for discussion, speakers, etc.

Contact Megan Dempsey if you are interested in a public showing of a film in the Kanopy collections that will be open to individuals not affiliated with RVCC. Public Performance Rights will need to be obtained if admission is charged or if the event is open to the wider community beyond RVCC. 

Docuseek

Docuseek streams essential independent, social-issue and environmental films to colleges and universities, providing exclusive access to content from renowned leaders in documentary film distribution.

Films in Docuseek can be used in class or for group viewings that are limited to RVCC students, faculty, and staff and for which no admission fee is charged.

AVON - Academic Videos Online

All films from AVON include public performance rights as long as no admission is charged for the event.

Netflix Educational Screenings

Netflix allows one-time educational screenings for select documentaries. 

From help.netflix.com:

To find out which titles are available for educational screenings, go to the "Only On Netflix" section of media.netflix.com. From here, navigate to "All Alphabetical".

Titles that are available for educational screening will display the following grant of permission on their details page:

GRANT OF PERMISSION FOR EDUCATIONAL SCREENINGS

Netflix is proud to present original documentaries that speak to our users in a meaningful way. We know that many of you are as excited about these films as we are; and because of their informational aspects, you’d like to show them in an educational setting -- e.g., in the classroom, at the next meeting of your community group, with your book club, etc.

Consequently, we will permit one-time educational screenings of permitted documentaries. We use the term "one-time screening" to mean that you can't hold screenings of the same documentary several times in one day or one week. However if, for example, you are an educator who wants to show a documentary once a semester over multiple semesters, that is permitted.

Educational screenings are permitted for any of the documentaries noted with this information, on the following terms:

• The documentary may only be accessed via the Netflix service, by a Netflix account holder. We don’t sell DVDs, nor can we provide other ways for you to exhibit the film.
• The screening must be non-profit and non-commercial. That means you can’t charge admission, or solicit donations, or accept advertising or commercial sponsorships in connection with the screening.
• Please don’t use Netflix’s logos in any promotion for the screening, or do anything else that indicates that the screening is “official” or endorsed by Netflix.

We trust our users to respect these guidelines, which are intended to help you share and discuss our documentary content in your community.

To the extent your institution requires you to demonstrate that you have a license for your screening, please show them this page.