Movies and Copyright
Fill out this form if you'd like to show a movie on campus:
For additional information on movies and copyright, continue reading below.
Guidelines for Public Movie Showings
Under copyright law, a movie or other work requires permission to be “performed publicly.” A movie is considered to be performed “publicly” when it is shown: (1) at a place open to the public; or (2) at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered. (17 U.S.C. § 101 (opens in a new tab)) In view of this broad definition of public performance, the following guidelines should be followed when movies are shown on campus.
Classroom Showings
Copyright law provides a specific exemption for films shown by instructors or students in the course of face-to-face teaching activities of a nonprofit educational institution in a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction. (17 U.S.C. § 110(1) (opens in a new tab).) As long as a lawfully made copy is used for such classroom showings, no prior permission from the copyright holder is required. If you have questions about whether or not your use qualifies for this exemption, please fill out the Movie Request Form (opens in a new tab) to submit a request. The Copyright Licensing Office will review the details of your use and help determine whether or not it qualifies.
Student Club/Extracurricular Showings (Including On-Campus Wards):
For public movie showings on campus that are not within the course of face-to-face teaching activities in a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction, permission and a license from the respective copyright holder is generally required. If the movie is intended for entertainment rather than classroom-type purposes, a license is required. Please fill out the Movie Request Form (opens in a new tab) to submit a request for licensing with our office. Please allow 1-2 weeks for your request to be processed.
Licensing Fees
The fee for a public movie performance license can vary greatly depending on the popularity of the movie and the size of the audience. The two major movie licensing companies are Criterion and Swank. They each represent different films and studios. See the fee schedule chart below for an estimate of pricing for both companies.
Typical Movie License fee schedule*:
| Number Attending | CRITERION Fee | SWANK Fee |
| 20-99 | $425-475 | $700-850 |
| 100-249 | $475-550 | $850-1200 |
| 250-399 | $500-725 | $1200-1500 |
| 400-599 | $750-850 | $1550-1800 |
| 600-1999 | $850-1200 | $2000-3900 |
| 2000+ | $1400+ | $4000+ |
*Fee is determined by the popularity of the movie, number attending, location, and the wishes of the Studio. Licensing fees could be less, or more, than this table suggests. This fee schedule is based on quotes from recent years, but may not be predictive due to these variables.
Alternatives
If a licensing fee is out of budget, below are some alternatives you may consider:
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Toggle ItemChoose a film from the Kanopy catalog that already has Public Performance Rights.
Kanopy (opens in a new tab) catalog
*Click “Search” to select the “public performance rights available” filter. Make sure the selected film has a “PPR” icon before screening it in a theater. Details here: Showing a film in class or at an academic event. (opens in a new tab)
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Toggle ItemChoose a film from Swank Digital Campus for individual movie streaming (not for public screening).
Swank Digital Campus (opens in a new tab)catalog
*Log in with your BYU NetID to view a movie individually, for private screening. Movies in this catalog are unavailable for public screening (unless licensed through the BYU Copyright Licensing Office).
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Toggle ItemCheck out HBLL Library resources.
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Toggle ItemChoose a film from the Deseret Video catalogue* (for free showings of audience sizes of 100 or less).
Deseret Video (opens in a new tab) catalogue
*Please note that not all titles may be available, and approval for these film showings must be granted by the BYU Copyright Licensing Office since we have negotiated a limited number of showings for BYU student groups/wards per year. -
Toggle ItemSelect a movie in the Public Domain.
Any film released over 95 years ago is in the Public Domain in the United States. Additionally, there are some other surprising titles that have entered the Public Domain due to failure to renew or register their copyright (including cult-classic “Night of the Living Dead”(1968), “A Farewell to Arms”(1932), and “Hunchback of Notre Dame”(1923), among others). You may consult this List of films in the public domain in the U.S. (opens in a new tab) as found on Wikipedia for other surprising titles that may be used. Please note that this Wikipedia article is a guide only. If you have any questions about the public domain status of a film please contact the Copyright Licensing Office at 801-422-3821 or copyright@byu.edu (opens in a new tab).
Off-Campus Ward and Stake Showings
The General Handbook states the following on movie showings at church function: “Can I show commercial audiovisual products at Church functions? Generally not. Church members should not violate warnings and restrictions that are placed on commercial audiovisual products. Using commercial audiovisual products at Church functions generally requires permission from the copyright owners” (Section 38.8.11, Copyrighted Materials (opens in a new tab)).
The BYU Copyright Licensing Office does not assist with licenses for off-campus movie showings. For permission to show a Deseret Video, please email permissions@deseretbook.com (opens in a new tab). For other films, you may wish to pursue licensing through Swank Motion Pictures (opens in a new tab) or Criterion Pictures (opens in a new tab).
Church leaders serving in BYU wards and stakes may contact our office at 801-422-3821 or copyright@byu.edu (opens in a new tab) for additional guidance if they wish.
Other Movie/Television Resources
- Movieclips (opens in a new tab)
- Wheretowatch (opens in a new tab)
- Swank Motion Pictures (opens in a new tab)
- Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (opens in a new tab)
- Criterion Pictures (opens in a new tab)
Other questions?
Please feel free to contact the Copyright Licensing Office at 801-422-3821 or copyright@byu.edu (opens in a new tab) for additional questions or guidance.