Showing Movies Legally
- Copyright FAQs for Individual Students, Student Organizations, and Dorms

1.) Can I show a movie as part of my club’s activities?
Films can be shown as part of your club’s activities if you have obtained the necessary permission. Any event that is planned and advertised (on the web, through posters/flyers, or via email) needs to be licensed appropriately. Movie licenses typically cost $250-$650 however, so your group will need to budget (or request funds) accordingly.

2.) Can my Dorm have a movie night?
A dorm can not have a movie night without proper licensing. If a group of students from a particular floor get together on a spontaneous basis that is ok. However, if dorms have regular movie nights or put out an open invitation to all of the dorm residents as part of regular programming they will need to obtain the film through a distributor and pay the proper licensing fees. Anything that is advertised in advance must be licensed.

3.) If there is an educational component to my event, can I show a film?
Yes. If you meet the following two criteria: (1) Your film or film series must not be open to the general public. Organizers can email the club’s membership list and invite them to watch the film or film series. However, public (including online) advertisements for the event are not permitted. (2) The educational component must be significant. It must be part of a class or workshop (not necessarily credit-bearing), and there should be a well-developed theme and/or presentation that accompanies the viewing.

Please note: The person giving the academic presentation can be a student, post-doc, professor, non-MIT person or other. The important criterion is not the presenter, but rather the quality of content of the presentation and the connection to a class or course of study at MIT. Is the presentation a central part to the program? Is there a department or instructor who is willing to support/sponsor the program? If so, then it meets the criteria for an academic program.

4.) How do I go about ordering a film? There are a couple of ways to do this. 1.) The Lecture Series Committee is willing to act as a liaison with some of the movie distributors with whom they already have a good working relationship. Your group could contact LSC and see if they can order the film and then your organization can just transfer money to LSC’s account to cover the cost. 2.) Call one of the distributors directly (see information below). It will be helpful to have the following information ready to give them:

• Full title - and if foreign film be prepared to spell it out correctly
• Name of the film producer (Disney, Warner Bros., Pixar, etc.) and it is helpful to have the year movie/film was released
• Format wanted (DVD, VHS, ...)
• Purpose of the event (if educational need to significantly demonstrate fact with details.)
• Room size, anticipated attendance, and if any money is being collected (even if it is as suggested donation), and estimated amount.

Distributors:
Swank Motion Pictures, Inc.
East Coast Office
Massachusetts Rep: Ann Falco/Brian Foxx
ph. 800-876-3344
http://www.swank.com/college/main.html

Criterion Pictures
7801 Louis-H. Lafontaine
Suite 104
Anjou, Quebec
H1K 4E4
ph. 800-361-2788
http://www.criterionpic.com/cpl/lcl_enghometable.html

New Yorker Films
info@newyorkerfilms.com
ph. 212-645-4600
http://www.newyorkerfilms.com/

5.) How much will it cost?
It very much depends on the movie you want (if it is a popular first-run release, for example, it will cost more) and how many people you anticipate attending and if you are charging admission/suggested donation. The ballpark amount for a movie is anywhere from $250-$650.

This is obviously significantly more than it would cost to run to the nearest video store, and it is important for your organization or residence hall to plan accordingly. Residence Hall governments collect House Taxes that should be able to cover programming of this sort. There are also numerous sources of funding available for student groups.

6.) How do I pay for it out of my account?
You can pay distributors with a Purchase Order, direct check to the vendor, or with personal funds (for reimbursement). For a purchase order or check, you will need to submit a voucher with an invoice to the Student Activities Finance Office (SAFO) ahead of time. When you call the distributor, have them send or fax the invoice or price quote to you, so that you can attach it to your voucher. Reimbursements will be processed as soon as you have a receipt. SAFO can turn checks around in 24 hours. For more information on SAFO services see (http://web.mit.edu/slp/finances/index.html)

Additional Copyright FAQ for Individual Students, Student Organizations, and Dorms

Aside from movies, what are some examples of other copyrightable materials that I should be worried about?

• Literary Works
• Musical Works, both score and lyrics
• Pictorial/graphics works, art, sculpture and photographs
• Audiovisual works, motion pictures, videos, video games
• Computer Software

What kinds of things do I have to worry about if I am creating a website?

• You may not place any materials owned by others, i.e. copyrighted works, on your Web page without the expressed permission of the copyright owner. (Examples: cartoons, articles, photographs, songs, software, graphics scanned in from published works or other web pages).
• Assume materials you find on the Web are copyrighted unless a disclaimer or waiver is expressly stated. You may include quotations of a few words provided you identify the author and the work from which the quotation is taken.
• If you want to include something from another Web page in one of your Web pages, then link to it rather than copy it.
• Defamation is not permitted (making a false statement of fact that is demeaning).
• Licensed Materials: Please take special care with materials licensed to MIT by their owner, for example, Encyclopedia Britannica entries, Dilbert cartoons, or articles from the Washington Post. These materials are restricted to use within MIT. No one has the right to place these materials on Web pages and/or redistribute the materials.
• You may not place any pictures or videos of people on a Web page without the permission of the people in the picture or video. Every person has a right of privacy which includes the right to restrict the use of his/her own image. In addition, the picture or video may be protected by copyright.

Who should I call if I have questions regarding trademarked or copyrighted materials?
Please contact the Student Life Programs Office (W20-549). You may also reach them by phone at 617-253-6777. They will work with the Intellectual Properties Office here at MIT regarding any issues they can not help with directly.