\nYour youth group holds a weekend lock-in. Several in the group bring their\nfavorite videos. Around 2:00 a.m. they watch “Free Willy.”<\/p>\n\n
\nYou use a short clip from “The Mission” to illustrate your message at the\nannual missions conference.<\/p>\n\n
\nYour church operates a daycare center. Every Thursday afternoon one of your\nworkers rents a video from Blockbuster for the children to watch.<\/p>\n\n
\nYou could be breaking the law.<\/p>\n\n
\nAll of these are illegal uses of video cassettes if your church does not\nhave a license for public performance video viewing. Purchasing or renting\na video does not carry with it the right to publicly<\/em> exhibit that\nvideo. For that, you need a separate license.<\/p>\n\n \nIt was just a few years ago that churches began to take music copyrights\nseriously. Now, as more and more churches use multimedia, it’s essential\nto know the laws. We tend to fast-forward through the “FBI Warning” at the\nbeginning of videos, but pre-recorded videos, whether purchased or rented,\nare for home\/ private use only<\/em>. Private showings are considered to\nbe for a “normal circle of family and its social acquaintances.”<\/p>\n\n \nAll other showings of home videos—such as at church—are deemed “public”\nand “subject to copyright control.” The only exception is under certain,\nnarrowly defined instances, referred to as “face-to-face teaching activities,”\nwhich applies to full-time,<\/em> nonprofit, academic institutions only.\nBecause of this full-time status requirement, Sunday schools and daycare\ncenters do not qualify.<\/p>\n\n \nShowing a video without the copyright owner’s authorization is a copyright\ninfringement; fines range from $500 to $20,000—even if you are nonprofit\nand didn’t charge admission.<\/p>\n\n \nThe Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) is an independent organization\nthat licenses, or allows, churches, schools, and other organizations to show\nvideos publicly.<\/p>\n\n \nMPLC holds exclusive authorization from many major motion picture studios\nto provide an umbrella license. This eliminates the need to get permission\nfor each video you wish to show. Umbrella licenses grant unlimited showings\non many home videos. You ask for permission once a year, for one location,\ninstead of every time you show a video.<\/p>\n\n \nMPLC offers a renewable, annual license for $95 per congregation<\/em>..\nAdditional programs (e.g., a church preschool) may be on the same license\nat a minimal additional fee.<\/p>\n\n \nPublic performances may take place only at the location you specify on your\nlicense. Any other location is not covered. And the audience should be limited\nto the number of people normally present at that location. The license doesn’t\ncover advertising specific titles to the general public or charging a fee\nto view them.<\/p>\n\n \nMPLC is looking to include more Christian producers, such as Word. But for\nnow, if you want to show that new Amy Grant music video to your youth group,\nyou have to obtain permission through the individual producer or distributor.\nAlso, at least one major Hollywood studio, mgm, does not have an agreement\nwith mplc. If you want to show an MGM movie like “The Wizard of Oz,” you\nhave to get permission through MGM.<\/p>\n\n \nThe license applies to unedited<\/em> films only. According to Sal Laudicina,\nvice-president of media relations for MPLC, it is unlawful to edit, duplicate,\nor modify a video without permission from the studio or copyright holder.\nThis means that if you want to show a clip in your worship service that includes\nsome innapropriate material, you must show the clip as is, with no alterations.\nIf you want to edit out some of the language, for example, you need to contact\nthe studio or copyright holder. Laudicina admits the studios are not known\nfor expediency in responding to such requests, and the red tape is tedious\nto cut through, especially if you are requesting an edit for the next Sunday\nservice. “Since most churches are on a time line,” he adds, “it’s better\nnot to try editing.”<\/p>\n\n \nFinally, if you have taped something from television and plan to show even\na portion of it at church, you will be breaking the law, even with an umbrella\nlicense. Under no circumstances is it legal to show material gathered that\nway.<\/p>\n\n \nFor more information or to receive a licensing application, contact:<\/p>\n\n \nThe Motion Picture Licensing Corp.\n5455 Centinela Avenue\nP. O. Box 66970\nLos Angeles, CA 90066-6970<\/p>\n\n \n310\/822-8855 or 800\/462-8855.<\/p>\n\n \nChurches may sign up over the telephone as well. Payment can be sent with\napplication, or mplc can bill the church. An annual Certificate of License\nis then sent through the mail.<\/p>\n\n Ginger E. McFarland is editorial coordinator of Leadership.<\/p>\n 1996 by Christianity Today\/LEADERSHIP journal<\/p>\nUnintentional infringement<\/h2>
Umbrella license<\/h2>
Dilemmas<\/h2>