Re: Target: Copyright

["Roberta J. Ponis" <rponis@JEFFCO.K12.CO.US>]

Dear Keith,

I, too, have been investigating licensing of various media primarily
because of the "public performance" copyright protection piece.  It seems
many of our schools have purchased videos as a K-Mart blue light special
to show on snowy days during lunch when it is an inside day.  These
videos are used for entertainment but have not been purchased with public
performance rights and therefore violate copyright laws.  Before the long
arm of the cr police descends on our district, we are giving schools
options for obtaining public performance rights or signing a licensing
agreement.  The Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) will license
over 50 producers of motion pictures for a school annually for $500, but
these may be shown only in the classroom, not in a cafeteria, auditorium,
or library.  ASCAP and BMI, I understand, license mostly music, and it
won't be cheap.  There are music, art, graphics that are sold with
copyright permission, but again, particularly the music is not cheap.
And it's usually music that the kids aren't interested in using in their
presentations.  I am interested in knowing what responses you get where
students have been successful in getting permission to use popular music
in their presentations.

Roberta Ponis
Library Services
Jefferson County Public Schools
Golden, Colorado
rponis@jeffco.k12.co.us

On Tue, 24 Sep 1996, Keith Fisher wrote:

> As many of you know, the copyright issue is always a hot topic.  Students
> and staff members are constantly trying new presentations techiques to
> "live'n up" their subjects or projects.  What I would like to know is,
> "Are there any schools which license through ASCAP or BMI?"
>
> Something interesting to find out.  Thanks in advance.
>
> Keith Fisher
> Port Clinton High School
> Port Clinton,  Ohio USA
> PCHS_ST_KF@noeca.ohio.gov
>