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Music & Media Collections

What are Public Performance Rights?

Public Performance Rights (PPR) grant the legal right to show a film publicly. If you wish to show a film in a public setting, even if you own it, borrowed it from the library, or otherwise legally obtained it, you may need to purchase public performance rights (PPR). The statutory definition of a public performance is one "at a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered."

Typically, these rights are managed by the distributor or producer of a film, who can grant you the rights to show their work publicly through a public performance license.

Do we have collections that include PPR?

Yes, some of our streaming video databases include public performance rights as part of our institutional licensing. Below are the databases that include PPR. 

Database
Public Performances Rights Allowed
Terms and Conditions for Public Performances
Alexander Street Press

Yes* - no admission or fees can be charged 

*Excluding FILM PLATFORM and National Theatre titles. National Theatre titles can be used in classroom or lecture room for teaching purposes.

 Terms and Conditions for ASP
Docuseek Yes - no admission or fees can be charged Terms of Use for Docuseek
Films on Demand Yes - no admission or fees can be charged Terms of Use for Films on Demand
Kanopy Some Kanopy films include PPR. To find films with PPR, you can either apply the PPR filter to search results or look for the PPR icon on a results page for a film Terms of Service for Kanopy

Do you need Public Performance Rights?

You do not need PPR if:

  • You are viewing a film at home (individually or with family & friends).
  • The film will be shown in the context of face-to-face teaching in the service of regular curricula with access limited to students currently enrolled in the course. See 17 USC 110 for more details. 

You need PPR if:

  • The film will be shown outside of the regular curriculum in the classroom. Examples include: student club events/movie nights, film festivals,  campus meetings, lectures, or other extracurricular events. 

PPR Decision-Making Flowchart

Obtaining Public Performance Rights

Individuals and organizations who shows a title publicly are responsible for obtaining the PPR license, even if it is a title already owned by the Libraries. Most major motion pictures require a PPR license that is separate from the manner by which you access the content.

For example, you may have checked out a library DVD or can find the film on YouTube Movies. In addition to the movie (physical or streaming), you would need to secure a separate and current PPR license likely via Swank, Criterion or Kino Lorber to legally show the film to your group. 

Please contact one of the companies to secure PPR.

For other questions about PPR, email us at libmedia@stthomas.edu. 

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