Faculty who wish to use copyrighted content such as films, television shows, books, and other electronic media such as CD-ROMs or DVDs need permission from the content owners before duplicating or distributing materials, whether the copies are exact duplicates on tape, or short clips or pieces served from MMLC servers for use in instruction. Obtaining these permissions are the responsibility of the faculty who wish to use the materials.

Examples of content that require permissions in writing include: short film clips, excerpts from magazines and books, and music or other audio recordings. According to new (1998) US Copyright law, violations of permissions are taken very seriously and are not only the responsibility of the University, but also of the faculty who uses the materials.

The MMLC has years of experience in negotiations with content owners, and can offer advice and guidance to those who wish to obtain the rights to use materials. In fact, we require documentation in writing from the content owners before we distribute any copyrighted materials from the MMLC.

Resources
The MMLC has prepared a few documents for your reference to assist you in obtaining copyright releases.

MMLC Copyright and Media Use Policy download PDF
Guide to Obtaining Copyright Permissions download PDF
Sample Letter: Requesting Permission from Publisher download .doc
For more information about obtaining permission for copyrighted materials, please contact the director of the center, Janine Spencer: j-spencer@northwestern.edu (click to send mail)