The "Films" Question and Fair Use
According to Fair Use, you can show a full-length film (documentary, feature, or otherwise) in your face-to-face class as long as all of these conditions are met:
- The film is integral to the course content.
- The film is shown in your classroom during class.
- All attendees are registered for the course.
- You are showing a legally-obtained copy.
Fair Use NEVER applies to the public performance of a film. This includes:
- Public events, even if you've only advertised to students.
- Your classroom, if you have invited others (not enrolled) to attend.
Public Performance information:
- Public performance rights are typically granted by the distributor, filmmaker, or movie studio. There are also licensing companies you can contact to secure those rights.
- You must abide by the contract you signed for those rights. (ie: Some are for one showing, some are unlimited.)
- Some library resources are licensed for public performance and some are not. If you are not sure, ASK!
(We'll handle online films in the next section!)