Public Performance Rights for Films

Playing a Film Without Permission

Under Section 29.5(d) of the Copyright Act, educational institutions, or individuals authorized by them, may publicly perform an audiovisual work on university premises without explicit permission if it serves educational or training purposes. This exemption applies if the audience is mainly students, instructors, or curriculum-related personnel, and if the audiovisual work is legally obtained or believed to be non-infringing.

When Should You Purchase Public Performance Rights (PPRs)?

If your intended use doesn’t qualify under the above conditions, you’ll need to purchase PPRs. This includes any public screenings—whether admission is charged or not. PPRs for films are typically obtained from collective societies, which manage the rights for multiple copyright holders and set usage terms.

In Canada, two main collective societies handle PPRs for most Hollywood films: Audio-Cine Films and Criterion Pictures. Both organizations offer searchable databases by movie title to help you determine which society holds the rights for specific films. Once located, PPRs can be directly purchased from these organizations.

Streaming Services

Personal Streaming Services such as Netflix do not typically permit public performance for educational purposes, unless the video has an explicit grant of permission for educational screenings. Netflix and other streaming platforms are commercial services provided to individual end-users – not the University. In other words, UWindsor does not have an institutional Netflix account. Therefore, your use of Netflix must comply with the Terms of Use you agreed to when you signed up for the service. The rights you may otherwise have had under exceptions in the copyright act, do not apply if they are inconsistent with the streaming services terms of use.

Other options include:

• Search Omni at Leddy Library to see if the title is in our catalogue or reviewing our streaming platforms. Platforms like Films on Demand are licensed with public performance rights included.
• Purchasing or borrowing a physical commercial copy of the video (such as VHS, DVD or Blu-Ray)
• Placing a suggestion for purchase to the library.