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Copyright & Fair Use: Public Performance

Media Librarian

Profile Photo
Farhad Moshiri
Contact:
Library-Room 205
210-829-3842
Media Collection, Music Collection, Copyright. Library liaison to Music Department.

Definition

Media Materials Public Performance

 

Any performance/screening of a copyrighted material, from UIW Libraries Collection, to an audience that includes persons outside of a specific face-to-face classroom in which all students have registered for that class is considered a public performance of that material. In that case, Public Performance Rights (PPR) must be obtained from the copyright holder.

 

Notes:

 

1. Materials with PPR received through ILL (Interlibrary loan) cannot be used in public performance. PPR is not transferable.

 

2. Some of the educational/documentary DVDs in the library's media collection have PPR. The bibliographical records of these films

    show that they have PPR. In case of doubt, please ask the media librarian.

 

3. The library does not acquire PPR for films separately. Faculty who need to acquire PPR for a film to screen it for an event at UIW, should use

    their departments' funds.

 

4. Most of the streaming videos online that UIW libraries has subscription to, have PPR unless noted otherwise. There should be no

    admission fee for the screenings.

 

Music Scores Public Performance

 

Please note that none of the music scores in UIW Libraries collection has PPR (Public Performance Rights). I order to use library scores in a public concert, you need to obtain permission from the copyright holder of the score. In almost all cases this means the publisher. For more details please go to this link.

 

There has been a confusion about public performance of music scores and "Public Domain". As we know, almost all publications before 1929 are in public domain. It means they are free of copyright. For example, music by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. who lived several hundred years ago are in public domain. The confusion is in "edited" versions of the music of these composers. For example, if a pianist decides to perform a piano sonata by Beethoven by using Schirmer (name of a famous music publisher) edition of the sonata, if this version was edited after 1929, the music score still is copyrighted and the performer needs to get permission from the publisher to perform the sonata in public. Please see the "Public Domain" tab in this guide.

Staff LADR