We are organizing a movie night on campus. Does the MSU library have copyright release or own the rights to any movies we might be able to use?

Q. We are organizing a movie night on campus. Does the MSU library have copyright release or own the rights to any movies we might be able to use?

Thank you for reaching out to the library for advice on showing movies on campus. What you're asking about is called “Public Performance Rights”, or PPR.

What are Public Performance Rights (PPR)?: Public Performance Rights (PPR) are the legal rights to publicly show a film or video. PPR are needed for student clubs, film series, general lectures, and when showing a movie publicly in student housing like residence halls.
Do I need PPR for classroom use? No. PPR are not needed to show a film in class as part of face-to-face teaching as part of regular curricula, to view a films at home, in a residence hall room, or for in-person instruction. The Federal Copyright Act (Title 17 of the US Code) requires PPR only for public viewing of copyrighted media outside of the regular curriculum.
Why do I need to obtain rights for my film screening?: If you do not obtain rights for your screening that is outside of the curriculum, you may be illegally screening the film. If a film is under copyright and you want to screen it, you must get the copyright owner’s approval. A PPR license needs to be obtained before you are able to begin promoting your event.
What if my screening is limited to members of a student organization and not available to a wider audience?: This does not matter. If the film is copyrighted and you're showing it not as course-related, you must secure public performance rights.
Does the library own any films I could show with the PPR already purchased? Yes! We do have quite a few movie options through a streaming service we pay for called Kanopy (https://montana.kanopy.com). Many (not all) of the streaming movies in Kanopy have pre-purchased PPRs. When you log in to Kanopy using your MSU NetID and Password, you can use the search/filter option of Public Performance Rights Available (turn on button in bottom left of filter list), there is a very long list of PPR movies you can select from.

Answered By: Kris Johnson

Last Updated: Dec 19, 2024 Views: 11

Contact Us

Meet with a Librarian

Email Us!

Request Library Instruction

Text Us! @ 406-962-0756

Call Us!: 406-994-3139

Comments (0)

Add a public comment to this FAQ Entry

Q. We are organizing a movie night on campus. Does the MSU library have copyright release or own the rights to any movies we might be able to use?

What are Public Performance Rights (PPR)?: Public Performance Rights (PPR) are the legal rights to publicly show a film or video. PPR are needed for student clubs, film series, general lectures, and when showing a movie publicly in student housing like residence halls.

What if my screening is limited to members of a student organization and not available to a wider audience?: This does not matter. If the film is copyrighted and you're showing it not as course-related, you must secure public performance rights.

Answered By: Kris Johnson

Last Updated: Dec 19, 2024 Views: 11

Contact Us

Related Topics

Related Questions

Comments (0)

Q. We are organizing a movie night on campus. Does the MSU library have copyright release or own the rights to any movies we might be able to use?

What are Public Performance Rights (PPR)?: Public Performance Rights (PPR) are the legal rights to publicly show a film or video. PPR are needed for student clubs, film series, general lectures, and when showing a movie publicly in student housing like residence halls.

What if my screening is limited to members of a student organization and not available to a wider audience?: This does not matter. If the film is copyrighted and you're showing it not as course-related, you must secure public performance rights.

Answered By: Kris Johnson Last Updated: Dec 19, 2024 Views: 11

Contact Us

Related Topics

Related Questions

Comments (0)

Answered By: Kris Johnson

Last Updated: Dec 19, 2024 Views: 11