Copyright Guidelines
Elizabethtown College
- Copyright Compliance Policy
- How to obtain copyright permission
- Copyright guidelines for performing music and AV works
- Performance of copyrighted music--Quick Reference Guide
- FAQs for Faculty
Guidelines for Movie Viewing on Campus (DVD or VHS)
Classroom Instruction
Any legal copy of the movie (from the library, purchased or rental) can be shown in face to face classroom instruction by a faculty member. The movies can be shown during class time or outside the normal class period (at night for example). However, it is only for those students who are registered for the class. The movie must be shown in spaces that are designated for instruction--not residence halls or student union lounges.
Groups showing movies on campus
Anytime a group shows a movie, the group must purchase the public viewing rights for that particular movie. Public performance viewing rights currently cost between $300-$800 per showing for popular titles from major movie distributors. Public performance rights for independent films could cost less. Use the links below to obtain performance rights. Public performance rights must be purchased even if you are offering the movie/film for free. Size of the potential audience may influence the cost of the public performance rights.
Check below for the listing of films at the library which already have public performance rights.
Plan ahead. If a faculty member thinks that he/she will show a particular movie in a public venue, he/she should see about purchasing public performance rights at the time one is purchasing the film. It is cheaper to buy public performance rights at the time one is purchasing the film.
Sources for materials in the public domain or for which fees have been paid
Materials we've paid for
- Films with performance rights
- Music license with www.bmi.com
- ARTStor--images can be used for classes and class projects, but cannot be posted on the open web.
Free materials
- Bartleby--public domain fiction, nonfiction, poetry and reference works
- Project Gutenberg--public domain prose, poetry, audio, sheet music, CD and DVD projects
- Internet Archive--text, audio, moving images
- American Memory--audio, images
- Government Documents--use this portal to access government organizations and their data
Low-cost materials
- Copyright Clearance Center Database--pay per use for publications that exceed fair use guidelines
- Creative Commons
- Corbis
- Getty Images
Obtaining performance rights for films
- Swank Motion Pictures, Inc. - 800-876-5577
- Criterion Pictures - 800-890-9494
- Motion Picture Licensing Corporation(MPLC) - 800-462-8855
Copyright and Fair Use
Copyright and Fair Use--Stanford University Libraries Website
Length of Copyright; when do items enter the public domain? from Cornell University
Other guidelines
- ITS Acceptable Use Policy
- Elizabethtown College Copy Services Policies
- Copyright and Course Management Software
- TEACH Act Guidelines from the Copyright Clearance Center on copyright protected material for distance learners.
- Guidelines for use of multimedia in student projects
- Music Library Association--Copyright for Music Librarians Search the frequently asked questions for specific information on music, issues affecting composers, off-air recording, performance rights, etc.
Downloading music
- Top 5 Myths about downloading internet music - Messiah College
- Opinions of musicians and songwriters about downloading internet music - MusicUnited.org
Copyright notifications can be emailed to morrast@etown.edu.
