Let me clarify first that I am a Library Media Specialist (with a love for museums), so I am not speaking as an expert in copyright law - I have, however, attended several workshops on the subject, and this is my take (please feel free to correct me!): IF the movie you are showing has educational value (and I would imagine it does), you must introduce it as such, and turn it into an educational experience, complete with questions and answers, and perhaps an "introduction" by someone familiar with the film - if this in not practical for you, or if you wish to be 100% certain, then, by all means, contact the distributor of the film - I would rather err on the side of caution, as I have heard of groups who were cited for improper usage. my 2 cents! Lee Ann Cindy Gardner <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Our director of education has the following questions and we hope that members of this list who better understand the copyright laws can help us know what we need to do. Thanks in advance for your time. If we are a not-for-profit organization and show a movie to the general public as a part of an educational program, are we breaking any copyright laws? We don't charge an entrance fee to the museum or a fee for viewing the movie. What is anyone's experience with this? Do we need to approach the copyright holder? Does anyone know the "official" rules or legal repercussions on this? -- Cindy Gardner, Field Services Curator Old Capitol Museum of Mississippi History Mississippi Department of Archives and History P.O. Box 571 Jackson, MS 39205-0571 Telephone: 601/576-6901 Facsimile: 601/576-6981 Email: [log in to unmask] ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). Begin at the beginning... and go on till you come to the end: then stop. Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll 1832-1898 --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).