Showing Films in Class

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Showing a video, movie, or DVD in a face-to-face classroom setting is allowed under Fair Use, provided that:

  • The teaching activities are conducted by a non-profit education institution
  • The performance is in connection with face-to-face teaching activities.
  • The performance takes place in a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction.
  • The person responsible for the performance has no reason to believe that the videotape was unlawfully made.
  • Taped broadcast television: may be shown up to 45 days after the date of recording. After this period, off-air recordings must be erased or destroyed. (https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED232644)
  • Netflix permits one-time educational screenings provided the film is a Netflix Original. To find out which titles are available for educational screenings, check that the item is listed as “Global Original” at the Netflix Media Center. AUS Library cannot provide Netflix access; faculty need to use their own Netflix accounts.
  • Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, and OSN+ do not include provisions for educational screenings of their videos.
  • YouTube and other online videos: Before showing a video or clip, it is the faculty’s responsibility to verify the website’s policy or the copyright statement that appears with the video. Many videos available from websites such as YouTube and the CBC have usage restrictions. In addition, many videos may not be posted with the permission of the actual copyright owner, and therefore cannot be used without obtaining special permission.
  • AUS Library has a subscription to Academic Video Online, which provides films, documentaries, interviews, performances and news programs that can be shown in class.
  • Audio clips and podcasts can be used in class for educational purposes. You can also post a link on iLearn. However, this is only OK if the site allows for free downloads.

Streaming Video Reserves – AUS Library offers a service for Faculty to encode material to digital format for use in iLearn.

Refer to https://libguides.ala.org/copyright/video for more information on Classroom use of videos.