Film Studies Research Guide 

What's Here

One of the major issues for instruction today is whether one can screen films or film clips for a class. While this webpage is no substitute for the direct guidance of the university's General Counsel, it provides a rule of thumb and a link to more substantial sources of guidance.

A Rule of Thumb

• If the material is screened for face-to-face classroom instruction, other people are not being invited to attend, and the film or video was acquired legitimately, there is no problem. This guideline applies to all courses, not just those in Film Studies.
  
• In other circumstances it may be necessary to purchase Public Performance Rights, i.e., a license to screen the film to a general audience (even if the audience is "limited" to the Yale community alone).

Best Practices

The Library supports the Society for Cinema and Media Studies’ Statement of Best Practices for Fair Use in Teaching for Film and Media Educators.  All instructors concerned with the issue of screening films in class should review this statement.

Other Documents of Interest

Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video, Center for Social Media, American University.

Copyright Guidelines for Use of Films and Video, Xavier University