The Carl S. Swisher Library is proud to provide our users with thousands of streaming videos for use in their learning, teaching, and research. On this guide users will find information on the Library's primary streaming video eResource, Kanopy. Users will also find direct links to other collections of streaming videos in our databases. On the last page of this guide, we have collected links to recommended free websites containing many types of streaming content.
We encourage you to preview he Swisher Library's streaming video acquisitions policy. If you have questions about the streaming content offered by the Swisher Library, please contact us at library@ju.edu.
In accordance with 17 U.S. Code § 110, films, videos, series, etc. can be shown in their entirety in face-to-face classroom settings for educational or teaching purposes without permission being granted by work's copyright owner. The students in the classroom should be only those enrolled in the course.
In accordance with 17 U.S.C. § 110(2) (TEACH Act), streaming videos can be shown in "reasonable and limited portions" in online classrooms in which only enrolled students would have access to these videos. The videos should be directly related to the course goals and be used for educational or teaching purposes. Teaching faculty can also show streaming videos in their online classrooms under the fair use doctrine, which may or may not allow for the entire video to be used. Whenever possible, it is recommended that clips or short portions of videos be used in online instruction.
For more information on fair use and copyright, visit the Swisher Library's Copyright and Fair Use guide or Jacksonville University's Office of Research and Sponsored Program's Intellectual Property page.
Screening films and videos outside of classroom settings requires consideration of the copyright owner's Public Performance Rights (PPR). Showing films in meetings, club or group events, training exercises, etc. requires you to have a Public Performance Rights license. The Swisher Library does not obtain individual PPR licenses for films. To obtain PPR licenses, you can contact the film's copyright holder directly, the film's distributor, or the licensing agent representing the copyright holder or distributor.
The Swisher Library does offer many films and videos with PPR licenses already included that can be screened on campus in our Kanopy BASE collection. Please note that admission prices to these screenings should not be charged in accordance with PPR license terms. To determine which Kanopy videos include PPR licenses, search for the video you wish to show during the extracurricular event in Kanopy and use the PPR Available filter or look for the PPR icon on the film's detail page. Visit the Extracurricular Film Screenings article in Kanopy's Support Center for more information. If you need assistance in determining if a Kanopy film in the Swisher Library's BASE collection has an included PPR license, please contact library@ju.edu.
Please note that streaming services meant for individual or family-based, in-home use like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, etc. all have subscriber agreements that may override copyright law exceptions. All subscribers agree to these membership agreements when they begin their individual subscriptions with these service providers. These agreements may prevent the films on these platforms to be shown in part or in their entirety in any type of public screenings or in classroom settings at all. It is crucial to understand the terms of these membership agreements prior to screening films from these types of platforms on campus in any capacity.
Links to Subscriber Agreements for Common Streaming Video Platforms:
The contents of this guide are offered as an informational resource only. The examples, explanations, and links are meant to offer help in the use of copyrighted works available through Jacksonville University's Carl S. Swisher Library. This guide does not supply legal advice, nor is it intended to replace the advice of legal counsel.