For the first time this year, Questar III is offering districts a service that can protect them from costly legal penalties stemming from copyright violations. Movie Licensing USA is available for purchase by districts under the Multimedia CoSer (511) and gives districts the confidence that they will always be in compliance with the Federal Copyright Act when showing movies.
Earlier this year, Questar III offered a workshop on copyright law to help clarify the often misunderstood “Fair Use” exception to the law in schools. Under the law, the Fair Use exception only applies to movies if all of the following apply:
- The teacher is present
- The movie is viewed in a classroom with only enrolled students present
- The movie is directly tied to the curriculum
- The movie is legally owned
A license through Movie Licensing USA allows for times when movies not directly tied to the curriculum are shown in schools – like after a morning of intense testing, the day before a holiday, when substitute plans cannot be located, etc.
Copyright violations can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on circumstances surrounding a public performance of a copyrighted work. Questar III School Library System director Jen Cannell says having this license in place can stop potential legal issues before they start.
“We’ve seen several cases where school districts were faced with legal action after movies were shown in schools without the proper licenses in place. This service allows districts to be confident that any movies used in classrooms or at district events are used legally and won’t be subject to legal penalties, which can cost thousands of dollars,” Cannell said.
“We recently purchased the service so that every time a movie is shown in the District we are in compliance with copyright law,” said New Lebanon CSD Superintendent Leslie Whitcomb.
Movie Licensing USA has several resources available on their website regarding copyright law and the use of movies in schools. Visit their website for frequently asked questions, a guide to understanding copyright, programming ideas, promotional materials, and a list of movies currently covered under a license.
You can also visit Questar III’s School Library System website for information on all the services the SLS offers districts
Movie Licensing USA is a corporate division of Swank Motion Pictures, Inc. and specializes in licensing films for public performances in libraries and K-12 public schools.
