Licensing FAQ

1. Why do you need to license films and videos?
A license is an official agreement for presenting films and videos. Terms are agreed upon by all parties involved and define the payment, timing, copyright, etc. They are an essential part of respecting the rights of the artist/filmmaker.

Licenses are required for all films and videos presented to an audience. 

Examples include, but are not limited to: a classroom with students, an indoor or outdoor cultural festival, an online program through VUCAVU or other streaming platforms such as YouTube, and even home viewing where a group of people have gathered to watch.

​​2. About artist copyrights:​
According to the Canadian Copyright Act, all public, private and commercial organizations wishing to present copyrighted commercially available movies in a public place must be properly licensed with a rights representative such as a content/distribution partner. 

This applies in all cases, even if films are personally owned, purchased in retail stores, from online retailers, shown freely or for non-profit reasons. Additional information on the specifics of the law can be obtained from The Canadian Copyright Board.

3. Who needs a license?
All organizations that present commercially available movies in a public presentation environment are required to obtain a license from the appropriate rights representative. Licensing applies even if the public programming is presented free of charge to an audience, is for non-profit reasons or if works are obtained from personal collections, retails stores or online retailers.

To resume, all public presentations of commercially available copyrighted movies or media art must be licensed, notwithstanding the type, nature or vocation of your organization.  Some examples of organizations that require a license to show films to an audience include:

• Clubs and societies
• Cultural and Community Centers & Associations
• Day and Summer Camps
• Government Facilities
• Hotels, Motels and Resorts
• K-12 schools and CÉGEPs
• Municipal Organizations
• Museums and Science Centers
• Non-profits
• Colleges and other Postsecondary institutions
• Private businesses
• Public Libraries
• School Boards and Private School Associations
• Youth/Seniors Centers
• etc…

4. Who provides the license?
A film or video distributor or content partner handles the licensing agreements for copyright holders. The distributor or content partner’s role is to represent the people who make these films and videos. They ensure that the artist/filmmaker gets paid and they remind curators, programmers and audiences of the rights of creators. 

5. What is VUCAVU's role in licensing works hosted on the platform?
Licensing costs are determined by distributor/content partners who have licensing contracts with the artists/rights’ holders of artworks on VUCAVU. These contracts give distributor/content partners’ permission to represent the rights’ holder. 

VUCAVU can facilitate the connection between the party requesting a license for a film or video they found on the platform and the relevant distributor/content partner who determines the licensing parameters. 

For online programming on VUCAVU, we provide access to use the platform for online viewing by the public of films and videos that have been licensed by the programming partner.

6. How are licensing parameters determined?
Licensing fees are determined by distributor/content partners and are generally based on factors such as:
> the context in which the film will be used
> the size of the audience
> the duration of the license of a work

7. What are a few examples of viewing contexts?

For educational institutions:
> Classroom use: Access to one or many films for a limited period of time for viewing as part of a class or curriculum-based learning.
> Institutional access: Access as part of a library collection by all members of a postsecondary community.
> Public Event: Public viewings in a non-classroom or teaching setting. For example: a student association movie night.
> Research: Access by an individual for academic research purposes.

For curators and programmers:
> Programming: Public viewings/screenings of a film/video such as during a film festival or a gallery exhibition.
> Curation: Access viewing and research of video/film titles on VUCAVU with the intent to purchase a license for public programming such as exhibitions or screenings.

8. A few examples of possible licensing contexts:

• Do I need a license if I show movies during lunch or as part of kindergarten programs? YES
• Do I need a license if movies are free or just for a few students? YES
• Do I need a license for a public screening if movies are personally owned or purchased from retail stores? YES
• Do I need a license for a public screening for a charity fundraiser event? YES
• Do public movie events organized by parents associations require a license? YES
• Do copyright laws allow me to show movies for leisure purposes without a license? NO

9. Are all movies covered by copyrights?
Yes! Unless otherwise specified, the vast majority of commercially available movies are covered by the Canadian Copyright Act and a public performance license must be obtained.

10. Why are copyrights important?
Copyrights exist to protect the rights of the creative artists who write, direct, produce and star in the entertainment industry. To that end, it is important to encourage new technologies and innovative approaches that create greater consumer choice for how, when and where content can be accessed legally at a variety of price points consumers want. Copyrights in Canada are regulated by the Canadian Copyright Act.

11. How do I access a license to a film found in VUCAVU’s shared catalogue?

What happens after I submit the INQUIRIES request form to VUCAVU?
> VUCAVU or one of our content/distributor partners’ will contact you by email.
> VUCAVU's service level agreement is 14 days

Once I have a license, how do I access the film?
> If you are watching it on our platform via a Private Page. VUCAVU will set up a special user account for you/your group so the works can be streamed on the platform. More information about PRIVATE PAGES can be found here.
> A content partner (aka distributor) will arrange the delivery of the film to you in whichever format was requested.

12. Payments and artist fee payment schedules.

What are the Independent Media Arts Alliance (IMAA) and Canadian Artists Representation / Le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC) artist fee payment schedules?

Both organizations delineate livable wages for artists for various services rendered. Updated information can be found on their respective websites:
> IMAA
> IMAA Fee Schedule 2022-2024
> CARFAC
> CARFAC Minimum Recommended Fee Schedule 

13. Once I have a license, how do I pay for a film?
> VUCAVU or the content partner will issue an invoice and payment can be made electronically by e-transfer or electronic funds transfer (EFT) or by cheque.
> Once payment is received, access to the film will be provided based on the agreed upon terms.
 

Still have questions? 
Contact us!