Streaming Video through the Monroe Library: Home

Monroe Library films may only be streamed for your course in Canvas, behind password protection. 

• The Monroe Library must own the physical DVD and your use of streaming video in Canvas must comply with copyright law. 
• We must purchase the educational version, if it is offered and, if streaming rights are available, we must purchase them. 
• You may not stream personal copies of video. 
• Institutional subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu, Vimeo, or Amazon Prime are not offered. In fact, Netflix has serious restrictions regarding using your personal Netflix account to show films in class. They offer a few Netflix-produced documentaries for classroom use, but otherwise do not permit classroom use of Netflix. 

Fair Use.  Fair use is a defense to copyright infringement.  It allows certain uses of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright owner.  A fair use determination has to be on a case-by-case basis by weighing and balancing four factors.  It is fact specific and often quite subjective, so it is not always clear whether a particular use is fair.

• The impact on the market for the work. 
  • If the library can purchase streaming rights for a film, we must do so and have active rights. 
• The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the whole copyrighted work. 
  • If an entire film can be justified for use to meet the learning goals of the course, it is more likely that it will qualify under Fair Use. 
• The purpose and character of use.
  • In our case, it must be educational. 
• The nature of the copyrighted work.

The Libraries owning a physical copy does not change this assessment.

The TEACH Act.  If films are used for distance education, the TEACH Act may also apply.  Under the TEACH Act, digitization of a film can only take place when a digital version is unavailable or protected by technological measures and certain additional criteria are met, including

• Streaming takes place in the context of course material. 
• The performance is directly related and integral to the class content, not ancillary like optional viewings.
• The film is part of systematic mediated instructional activities.
• The transmission is made solely for and limited to students officially enrolled in the course.
• The digital version is made from a lawfully made and acquired analog (i.e. the Library must own a physical copy). 
• Reasonable technological controls must be used to prevent copying, retention, and further dissemination of the film.
• The work must carry a warning notice to students.  Please add this text where you use links from the Kaltura Shared Repository in Canvas. "This performance is copyrighted material permitted for use under the TEACH Act. Viewing is restricted to students enrolled in this course. This material is not to be retained or further distributed."

• First, search the library's catalog to see if the Monroe Library owns a physical copy of the film you want to show. Change "Everything" to "DVD" to specifically search for DVDs. 
• If you find the film there, follow these instructions to determine if the film you want to use is in the Shared Repository. If it is, follow the instructions for adding a link to your course. 
• If the library owns the film, but it is not in the Shared Repository, you may request access to the film. It is possible that:
  • We can stream it, but it hasn't been digitized, or; 
  • We have not renewed streaming rights, but we can, or;
  • We do not have the rights to stream the film and cannot obtain them. 
• Please fill out this form to request to stream a film that the Library owns, but is not in the Shared Repository. We'll get back to you regarding the status. 
• If the Monroe Library does not own the film that you want to stream, please use this form to request a DVD for the purposes of streaming.