Copyright law protects the copyright owner’s right “to authorize or prohibit” the public performance of a video recording. A “public performance” is defined as any screening of a film in any format outside of a group of family and friends in a home. Except for a small percentage of titles in the public domain, most videorecordings are protected by copyright law and require permission from the copyright owner to show the film publicly.
As a rule of thumb, you are prohibited from screening any “Hollywood movies” released by major film studios (Disney, Sony, Warner Brothers, etc.) and may have to purchase screening rights – even if you’re a non-profit institution and are not charging admission.
However, some vendors of educational videos sell institutional versions of titles that automatically come with public performance rights.
To see a list of these vendors as well as additional information about public performance rights and film clearance, see the How Do I Find Out if a Movie Has Public Performance Rights? guide.
Need more assistance determining whether or not a movie has public performance rights? Contact the Sights and Sounds Department at the Maryland State Library Resource Center/Enoch Pratt Free Library at (410) 396-4616 or e-mail us at sas@prattlibrary.org.
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