Skip to Main Content

Copyright

Guide to copyright basics and policies at Otterbein University.

Where to ask

You have a couple of options.  The easiest is a third party paid service like the Copyright Clearance Center. If the work is not in their database, they will attempt to locate the copyright holder.

Films

If I want to show a film on campus, I need something called “PPR”. What is “PPR” (or, Public Performance Rights)?

Any time you plan to screen/show a film to the public (“public” here meaning anyone attending a film screening/showing in an auditorium, theater, or any other kind of unrestricted open space, either indoors or outdoors)—irrespective of the film’s format or whether or not you are charging admission—you must first seek permission to do so from the film’s copyright holder(s). This permission comes in the form of a license from the rights holder called a PPR (Public Performance Rights) license.

Do I really need this PPR thing? It sounds like a hassle.

Yeah, you do. The only campus exception would be if the film is shown as part of his/her face to face teaching. See Limitations on Exclusive Use for more about this.

Can I find out if a film the library owns already has PPR?

The catalog record for newer films may tell you if the library has rights.  For example, see The Notebooks of Memory. Also, the DVD or VHS case may indicate PPR rights.  If you don't see anything in the catalog record or a label on the media, assume that Otterbein doesn't have PPR to that title.

Can the library get the PPR license for me?

The library does not obtain PPR licenses for individuals or groups but Kadia Reid at the Center for Student Involvemnt can help.  She can be reached at 614-823-3211 in the campus center.  While we can't obtain the rights for you, we can help you determine who has the rights. Keep in mind he process of searching for PPR can be lengthy and time-consuming and expenses can range between $100-$900 per film per screening.  Please budget accordingly.

If I want to look myself, where should I start?

It’s best to begin your PPR research early—give yourself at least 2 weeks lead time before you plan to screen/show a film. You will be searching for contact information—a name, a phone number, an email, or a web address of the person(s) or company(ies) involved who control the copyright and/or the rights for the film.

Start with the film in hand, and examine the VHS tape or DVD itself (or its case/container):

  • Is there any indication of which film company, studio, TV network, or other entertainment corporation produced the film, or holds the copyright (look for the © symbol)? There may be several visible.
  • Is there a toll-free phone number or web address (e.g. http://www.sonypictures.com/) visible? Contacting the owner or rights-holder directly in this way may lead to information about PPR.

You can also try searching online for more information. Try using Google, The Internet Movie Database, or Amazon to search for more information about the film; try to find contact information for the people or company(ies) that produced it. Be persistent!

In addition, there are several organizations that handle “blanket PPR licenses” for many of the major film studios, and are an excellent resource (again, keep in mind that you should expect to pay a PPR license fee):

Finally, if you obtain a PPR license for a film held by our library, make sure to reserve the film through the library's catalog. This will ensure that the film is available to you, when you need it.

Music

Unfortunately, music rights can be quite complicated.  Depending on what you want to do, you may need to seek multiple rights.  For example, suppose you want to use a popular song for a project.  Let's say you wanted to use Journey's Don't Stop Believin' and you plan on posting this on your Blog. 

In this case, you need to get 3 sets of rights. 

  1. The performance right to the composition.  In other words, whoever owns the rights to the song as written.  In this case it was composed by Jonathan Cain / Steve Perry / Neal Schon.  They might still own that copyright, but you would have to investigate.
  2. Performance right to the sound recording.  This is the copyright of the song actually performed by Journey.
  3. The right to duplicate this recording.

For more information on music and copyright, here are a few other guides:

Links