Movies in the Classroom
Teachers are not required to obtain a license/permission if showing a movie for educational purposes. As long as it is part of the curriculum, teachers are allowed to show movies/tv shows as a clip or in their entirety in their classroom. Littleton Public Schools supports teachers’ rights under Section 110(1) of Title 17 to use copyrighted material in their curriculum so long as it is legally obtained. It is permissible to show movies that you own or rent as long as it is for educational purposes. We recommend only using the original copy as reproductions may still violate copyright law. If you need a DVD player , please put in a help desk ticket and we can deliver one to your classroom.
Streaming - Copyright law may allow you to show a specific movie in the classroom but the user agreement for most streaming services may not. For Youtube, a video clip that is officially posted by the copyright owner can be used. In most circumstances. The user agreement for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and HBO allows their service to only be used for personal, not classroom use. Please note that Netflix does have certain titles that they waive this limitation. Educational Screenings of Documentaries https://help.netflix.com/en/node/57695
The laws are not new but technology has made it easier for teachers to use digital content in their classroom so we want to ensure that you are informed of your rights and limitations.. We believe our teachers have a right to use high quality content for educational purposes and we want you to be able to do so effectively and legally.