Boston College Libraries' policies for obtaining public performance rights for audiovisual material used in the classrooms are:
Audiovisual materials may be used in classrooms as part of regular face-to-face classroom instruction without seeking the copyright owner's permission for performance or display. As such, the presence of a faculty member or teaching assistant is required at each class meeting/audiovisual showing in order to satisfy the "face to face" teaching exceptions contained in Section 110 of the Copyright Act.
Clubs and other groups who wish to use audiovisual materials in classrooms must first obtain public performance rights for those materials from the copyright owner, unless those rights were purchased along with the materials -- often the case with institutional purchases from educational vendors (e.g. Films for the Humanities & Sciences).
Individuals and groups can find assistance obtaining public performance rights by contacting Media Technology Services’ Film Rental Specialist at 617-552-3242.
Media Technology Services classroom support can provide assistance with arrangements for screening equipment in classrooms.
For assistance with digitization services and DVD pickup, contact the Library reserves/media staff.
It is imperative to understand the difference between legal downloads and illegal file sharing. In the peer-to-peer file sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement. Although there are exceptions under the law that allow copying or distribution of protected works, the use of peer-to-peer (P2P) software programs to download or upload copyrighted music and movies without permission of the copyright owner would virtually never qualify for an exception. Criminal and civil penalties may result from copyright violation, in addition to disciplinary action by Boston College.
Boston College Technological and Information Resources Use Agreement
Here are some common examples of copyright infringement:
Do not install P2P file sharing software on your computer.
This guide is designed to provide basic, general information about copyright, and does not constitute legal advice. The links to third party sites in this guide are provided for your convenience. Boston College does not take responsibility for the content of these other sites. If you have a question about a specific copyright issue not addressed by this guide, the Libraries encourage you to seek further advice.
If you have questions about this guide or a basic copyright issue, contact copyright-ggroup@bc.edu, or the subject liaison for your department.
If you have a question about the University’s policies regarding copyright, please contact the Office of Technology Transfer and Licensing at 2-1682. If you have a question that requires the advice of an attorney, please contact the Office of the General Counsel at 2-0960.