Copyright Basics Guide

It is recommended to link to resources in Blackboard rather than upload a PDF. Uploading a PDF of copyrighted materials may be a violation of copyright and/or library licensing agreements. Please consult the four factors of fair use, contact the copyright owner for permission, or utilize the U.S. Copyright Office website for additional information.

If you are linking to a library resource, such as an article in a database, check out our guide on Persistent Linking.

The answer to this question depends on the type of class (in-person or online), how much of the film will be shown to the class, and the type of event. For an in-person, face-to-face class, you are likely able to show a film without obtaining Public Performance Rights as long as the the film will be shown in a classroom at a non-profit educational institution as part of the course curriculum, the film will only be shown to students registered for the class, and the copy of the film was legally obtained. (Note: Streaming films from sites such as Netflix, HBO Max, etc. may require additional permissions. Check with the streaming service directly.)

For synchronous, online classes, the laws are stricter. The TEACH Act amendment to the Copyright Act (17 U.S. Code § 110(2)) permits the performance of a reasonable and limited portion of films in an online classroom, which means that using clips or portions of a film or video is preferable.

When in doubt, use the four factors of fair use, find an alternative option that has an open license, contact the copyright holder for permission, or consult U.S. Copyright Law directly.

Copyright law states that ILL articles are exclusively to be used for "private study, scholarship, or research" [17 USC S.108 (d)(1)]. In order to be in compliance with the law, articles received through ILL must not be shared with other users nor be posted online or placed on reserve or as part of a course pack or reading list.

The Harvard Business Review has special requirements when it comes to using their content. The use of an HBR article as required reading for a course is prohibited. There is a disclaimer at the end of each article that reads, "Copyright 2023 Harvard Business Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Additional restrictions may apply including the use of this content as assigned course material."

Additionally, from the HBR website: "...we prohibit the posting of cases, articles, or chapters on “e-reserve” course pages for student access, as well as in “electronic coursepacks” that link to our digitized content and content postings on course management systems such as WebCT or Blackboard. Such unauthorized postings are equivalent to distributing our copyrighted content to students without permission, which infringes that copyright. This is so even if the content is being used for the first time and is password-protected, accessible only to students in the course, and taken down at the end of the course" (Harvard Business Review).

Showing a film during a campus event is different than showing a film within a classroom for instructional purposes. For most events, you will need to obtain Public Performance Rights from the film's copyright holder or distributor. Public Performance Rights are needed when the showing of the video is open to the public, the showing is in a space where access is not restricted (such as showing a film for a class, but in a venue that is open to anyone to attend), or the showing is by a club or organization.