Student Info

Why and when do I need Public Performance Rights (PPR)?

Since most films are under copyright, it's necessary to obtain permission to screen films in a public setting. Public Performance Rights (PPR) is a license that allows a film to be shown publicly. If a student organization or department plans to show a film at a festival, educational program, movie night on campus, or other event with a substantial number of people, the group may need to obtain public performance rights.

Faculty are permitted to show feature length films in a classroom or instructional setting. Students are able to show films in small groups. 

Faculty: In copyright law, the TEACH Act (17 U.S.C. § 110 - U.S. Code): permits “the performance or display of a work by instructors or pupils in the course of face-to-face teaching activities of a nonprofit educational institution, in a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction....” It applies to showing of entire films, and also to those that involve less extensive clips from one or several sources.

Find more information on the Faculty Guide. 

Students: You don't need PPR for

• watching any DVD or streaming film in a small group, such as a student organization
• home viewing 
• classroom viewing

Faculty, Departmental and Student Organizations must seek Public Performance Rights (PPR) in order to show publicly screened films outside of an instructional setting. 

If you are showing a film in a theater on campus and it's open to all of UTampa, then you will need to pay for public performance rights. PPR is required because copyrighted films (a lot of our DVDs and streaming video in the library) are not licensed to show to a large group. The exception is for instruction (see above). 

Everyone needs PPR for: 

• film festivals
• meetings, programs, and events on campus
• movie nights hosted by student organizations or faculty

Faculty, Departments, and Campus Organizations: In order to get PPR, you must contact the distributor of the film, like the Criterion Collection or Swank (see below). When contacting these distributors, have the event information and payment information on hand. So, if you are showing a film and it's coming out of a departmental budget, have that information ready. 

Some of our streaming films already have public performance rights. Here is how you can find them:

• In Kanopy, search for a film or genre. Click on the "Public Performance" button on the bottom. If the film shows up, you are good to go for showing it on campus. Also, look for the PPR logo on the film itself. More information 

Companies that you may need to contact to secure PPR:

• Swank Motion Pictures, Inc.
  • Form to request a quote to show films on college campuses
• Criterion Pictures USA
• Kino Lorber
• MPLC (Motion Picture Licensing Company)
• A24 - info@a24films.com
• Walt Disney Studios

For some films, you may need to contact the producer or distributor directly. If you need help locating the distributer, contact the library at library@ut.edu.