Public Performance Rights (PPR) for Documentary Videodiscs held by the University of Idaho Library: FAQ

Find answers here to some frequently asked questions about public performance rights.  If you still have questions after reading through this documentation, please feel free to contact Rami Attebury (rattebur@uidaho.edu) at 208-885-2503 for more assistance.

Q: Do public performance rights transfer to another institution if an off-campus patron borrows a videodisc owned by the Library?
A: In general, no.  Public performance rights purchased by the Library are valid only for free screenings held on the University of Idaho campus.

Q: May I charge admission to a screening?
A: No. Videodiscs for which the Library purchases public performance rights may be used only for non-commercial purposes.  Admission may not be charged.

Q: May I advertise my screening?
A: You may advertise a non-commercial, on-campus screening through e-mail or posters placed on-campus.  Off-campus advertising is not permissible.  

Q: May I use my own copy of a videodisc for an advertised, on-campus screening?
A: No. You would need to rent a copy of the videodisc with public performance rights. Personal ownership of a copy of a videodisc does not give you the right to screen it in a public setting. If you need to rent and secure PPR for a videodisc, please consult the tab labeled "Obtaining Screening Rights For Videodiscs Without PPR." If you fail to do this and use your own copy for a public screening, you are breaking the law.

Q: May I show a videodisc that I've personally recorded?     
A: Generally, no. Videodiscs acquired in this way are for personal use only.

Q: Do I need to secure public performance rights for a videodisc that I plan to show in class?
A: No. As long as the videodisc relates in an obvious way to the subject being taught, you may use non-PPR videodiscs in class.  This is known as the "face-to-face teaching exemption." (See below.)

"Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, the following is not an infringement of copyright: (1) performance or display of a work by instructors or pupils in the course of face-to-face teaching activities of a nonprofit educational institution, in a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction, unless, in the case of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, the performance, or the display of individual images, is given by means of a copy that was not lawfully made under this title, and that the person responsible for the performance knew or had reason to believe was not lawfully made..."

(Title 17, U.S.C., Copyrights, Section 110 (1), Limitations on exclusive rights: Exemption of certain performances and displays)