PTO Today

The national PTA sent us information on a Country wide movie night. They are sending us the movie and the license to be able to show this movie.

My question is: If we do other movie nights, not sent by the National PTA, do we need to secure a license to show it? And if so, where do we get them from? Anyone have a clue how long it takes to get a license agreement?

if you go to movlic.com you can read the requirements for a license. The short answer is yes you have to have a license. You can do this over the phone in most cases and they'll send you a certificate. The certificate should be on display at the showing but the bottom line is if you've called and paid then your are licensed at that time for the date and time of the showing.
d

The woman from movlic.com who replied to my inquiry said she could do it in a day, if I paid by credit card.

You can also pay yearly for a license, that would allow you to show any movie you like. I have no idea how much that would cost because our school pays for that, not the PTO.

__________________
"Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

It's 400 dollars through the movie licensing (movlic.com) site but, big but here, if the movie is shown outside of a classroom with other than student participants (which most PTO movie nights encompass) there needs to be a specific license for that showing. You can read all the rules at movlic.com. A school or school region having a school wide license does not legally cover PTOs that show movie nights after school hours. The parameters are laid out in the site above.
d

hmmm-so having posted that...I'm looking at the exemption I thought covered this...it reads
The Educational Exemption, also called the "face-to-face teaching exemption," is a precise activity which allows the legal use of movies in certain types of teaching. In order for a movie to be considered an "Educational Exemption," all criteria must be met:

A teacher or instructor is present.
The showing takes place in a classroom setting with onlythe enrolled students attending.
The movie is used as an essential part of the core, current curriculum being taught. (The instructor should be able to show how the use of the motion picture contributes to the overall required course study and syllabus.)
The movie being used is a legitimate copy, not taped from a legitimate copy or taped from TV.
If you are uncertain about your responsibilities under copyright law, consult your school's legal copyright representative.

Perhaps if the county has a license--you're still good. I'm going to email the licensing company and see what they say. Maybe the issue is just having the night in the name of the school vice the PTO. I'll let you know what I find out.
thanks
d

This is the entire answer movlic sent back:

The schools in the district have been purchasing their own licenses for several years now.

The reason Movie Licensing USA would know whether you are licensed are
not is because we are the only company authorized by these major motion
picture studios to offer this type of blanket coverage to K-12 schools
and the studios no longer handle this for themselves anymore. For
instance, if you called Walt Disney Pictures today to get permission to
show Finding Nemo for your next movie night, they would refer you back
to Movie Licensing USA.

You are correct movies shown for Family Movie Nights DO NOT fall
under the educational exemption and would require that you purchase the
license.

You purchased a one-time license today which is good for one movie for
one showing only.

The annual or multi-year license is a site based, blanket license and
covers unlimited showings inside the school by anyone on campus,
regardless of whether they are affiliated with the school or not.

Me again--this seems a bit contradictory so I've gone back and asked if the school has a license, can the PTO show a movie where non students attend?

I'll let you know. This is like unwrapping something real slow like.
d

OKAY--I love getting to the bottom of the well. And since I'm there so often I know how to get out!

There is a "one time" license and a "site license" that runs for the year. If you have a "site license" (i.e. your school has the license as rlaneww states above) then your PTO is covered for showing movies for movie night. (They kind of become a movie theater).

Since my school doesn't have a site license--I still have to get the license. I'm glad I know all this and now can tuck it into my "useless information" file. Maybe it'll get me a "green wedgie".

d