Movies Policy

These guidelines have been reviewed January 24, 2011 and supplement the Code of Student Life, Section 5: Use of University Facilities.

Any organization or department reserving space in the Memorial Union, for the purpose of showing a movie in a "public performance" setting, will be required to obtain all appropriate licenses for the showing. A copy of the license must be presented to the Memorial Union administration office prior to the date of the event. If a copy of the license is not received, the Memorial Union staff will terminate the event.

The Federal Copyright Act (Title 17 of the U.S. Code) governs how copyrighted materials, such as movies, may be used. Neither the rental nor the purchase of a movie carries with it the right to show the movie outside the home. Movies obtained through a video store are not licensed for public performance. This legal requirement applies regardless of whether an admission fee is charged, whether the institution or organization is commercial or non-profit, or whether a federal or state agency is involved.

Licensing information is available from the Motion Picture Association of America at http://www.mpaa.org/Public_Performance.asp

Obtaining a public performance license usually requires no more than a phone call. Fees are determined by such factors as the number of times a particular movie is going to be shown, how large the audience will be and so forth. The major firms that handle these licenses include:

Swank Motion Pictures, Inc.
800.876.5577

Criterion Pictures
800.890.9494

Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC)
800.462.8855

New York Films
212.645.4600

For any questions, please contact the Memorial Union Administrative Office at 701.777.3926.