Re: MPLC licenses

["Wendy Miller" <millerwen@adelphia.net>]

Here's what the ALA says -- 
http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/copyrightb/completecopyright/publib.htm

If more than one person is viewing these movies at a library there's
probably a public performance going on unless you can construe fair use.

Wendy Miller
Charles M. Bailey Public Library
Winthrop, Maine
207-377-8673
wmiller@bailey.lib.me.us

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lea, Ben" <bjlea@umr.edu>
To: <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2004 5:16 PM
Subject: MPLC licenses

> Gentles,
>
> Forgive me if this is a touch off-topic, but my director has asked me to
> investigate.  Like a lot of libraries, we have a handful of TVs here for
> viewing our videotape & DVD collection.  And annually, we pay a fairly
> nominal fee to the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation which allows us to
> "publicly perform certain lawfully manufactured pre-recorded home
> videocassettes and videodiscs".  (Well, "fairly nominal" in terms of
> library budgets -- it'd be enough to finance a pretty nifty trip to
> Williams-Sonoma or something for me...)  A previous director wanted to
> stay well on the sunny side of care when it came to fair use, but the
> current administration isn't sure whether watching a video on those TVs
> constitutes a public performance.
>
> Are other libraries paying that fee as well?  Or, are we mis-allocating
> funds that could be used to buy more DVDs?  Please reply off-list; I'll
> summarize if there's interest.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ben Lea -- bjlea@umr.edu
> Reference Librarian / Electronic Resources Coordinator
> University of Missouri-Rolla
> 573.341.4007