Sharing Digital Movie Codes

Hello, This fall we are starting a Film Club at our library. Like a book club, but the patron watches the movie before the discussion. Since there are several services for video stream, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for services where the library could purchase a digital copy and share it with those attending. I am not sure where this lays on the legal spectrum. If we have a SWANK license, does this count towards digital content? Any advice or suggestions would be extremely helpful. Thanks! Anna Merritt Assistant Director Richland Community Library 8951 Park Street Richland, MI 49083 (269) 629-9085 https://www.richlandlibrary.org/ -- This message has been scanned by E.F.A. Project and is believed to be clean.

Hi Anna: A general SWANK license usually covers only showings WITHIN a library facility. https://www.swank.com/public-libraries/licensing-options/ The only way to really know if your specific license is different would be to read your contract or licensing agreement with SWANK or contact them directly. The same would be true for any streaming service your library subscribes to. The licensing agreements for those services would indicate whether they can be shared to multiple individual patrons for viewing outside of the library. I would caution against sharing SWANK or other licensing codes without a thorough review and understanding of the licenses. If you have a digital remote service including streaming video available to patrons ,such as Hoopla, that type of resource may be your best bet. You may want to look into services such as Filmmovement, which offers film subscriptions for public libraries specifically for the type of club you describe: https://www.filmmovement.com/film-club-subscriptions-for-libraries. I hope this is helpful. Take Care Clare Clare D. Membiela, MLS, J.D. Library Law Consultant Library of Michigan MembielaC@michigan.gov<mailto:MembielaC@michigan.gov> 517-335-8132 The research and resources above are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Nourishing Michigan's Future during the summer! Find a Summer Food Service Program site nearest you and encourage Michigan's children to Meet Up and Eat Up! www.michigan.gov/meetupeatup<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.michigan.gov%2Fmeetupeatup&data=05%7C01%7CMembielaC%40michigan.gov%7C229be3d5c395412479f308da43410928%7Cd5fb7087377742ad966a892ef47225d1%7C0%7C0%7C637896243868604073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=vB6cY61k1yFzX2wHGuTfN2rBGFVVaFMBX%2BeZpDQculY%3D&reserved=0> [cid:image001.png@01D89CE8.0E2AA090] From: Michlib-l <michlib-l-bounces@mcls.org> On Behalf Of Anna Merritt via Michlib-l Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2022 5:56 PM To: Mich Lib-L <michlib-l@mcls.org> Subject: [Michlib-l] Sharing Digital Movie Codes CAUTION: This is an External email. Please send suspicious emails to abuse@michigan.gov<mailto:abuse@michigan.gov> Hello, This fall we are starting a Film Club at our library. Like a book club, but the patron watches the movie before the discussion. Since there are several services for video stream, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for services where the library could purchase a digital copy and share it with those attending. I am not sure where this lays on the legal spectrum. If we have a SWANK license, does this count towards digital content? Any advice or suggestions would be extremely helpful. Thanks! Anna Merritt Assistant Director Richland Community Library 8951 Park Street Richland, MI 49083 (269) 629-9085 https://www.richlandlibrary.org/<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.richlandlibrary.org%2F&data=05%7C01%7CMembielaC%40michigan.gov%7C360794e0cf884a4a076608da6a9b425e%7Cd5fb7087377742ad966a892ef47225d1%7C0%7C0%7C637939512320396376%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jPAoFRqZIAlmBO7gI6nk0Q95%2B%2FOiMjr142AZI5L%2FiDs%3D&reserved=0> -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by E.F.A. Project<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.efa-project.org%2F&data=05%7C01%7CMembielaC%40michigan.gov%7C360794e0cf884a4a076608da6a9b425e%7Cd5fb7087377742ad966a892ef47225d1%7C0%7C0%7C637939512320396376%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2VqJ6PtCDz%2Bnp4Gl%2FQATSn46qE%2BEFDDXa2yPGW9mgT4%3D&reserved=0>, and is believed to be clean.
participants (2)
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Anna Merritt
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Membiela, Clare (MDE)