LibGuides: I Stream, You Stream: Streaming Video

Can't I just stream something from my Netflix account to my class?

Short answer:

No.

Exception: Netflix Original documentaries that have a GRANT OF PERMISSION FOR EDUCATIONAL SCREENINGS. This is not available for all Netflix Originals and/or Documentaries.

A longer answer regarding Fair Use and the streaming service, Netflix, as well as some others can be found below.

In the meantime, why not explore these alternatives...

Streaming Video in and out of the classroom

Fair Use & Copyright Guidelines for Online Education: Videos This page from a URI LibGuide provides examples of when videos can be used for online education and when you could be in violation of copyright.

Find Videos

SWANK This link opens in a new window

The Basics

Provider:

Login info:

About Swank:

Swank Digital Campus

Single Sign On (Full CK email address & password)

Swank Streaming provides our school with a collection of 109 feature-length movies that can be immediately streamed directly from your device to your classroom. Additional titles may be requested by faculty as the need arises and may be made available after 48 hours. (More information on this aspect is forthcoming.)

Classroom Use

Showing movies in class to your students.

Allowing students who missed a class to view the portion of a movie you wanted them to see.

All streaming movies provide a link for faculty to add to their LMS. This allows student access to the specific movie once they log in using their Cranbrook username and password.

Ask The Experts

Here are a few members of the faculty who have already worked with this resource:

Wendy Hedstrom

Sample Titles Include

Dead Poets Society
The Farewell
Wall-E

SWANK This link opens in a new window
This service is accessed by Faculty and Staff only. Students will receive a link from their instructor to access the content.

Swank Video How to

RE: Netflix and other personal streaming subscriptions

A subscription to a streaming service, may not cover showing its content in an educational setting. If you are showing videos through your personal streaming subscription you may be violating the terms of use.

Currently, Netflix is the only personal streaming service that allows some of its documentaries to be shown in an educational setting. According to Netflix:

"Some Netflix Original educational documentaries are available for one-time educational screenings.

To find out which titles are available for educational screenings, go to the "Only On Netflix" section of media.netflix.com.

Titles that are available for educational screening will display [a grant of permission on their details page]."

Currently, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO, and Hulu DO NOT grant any rights for institutional or educational use. Licenses overrule copyright exemptions, so this can not be covered under fair use. This is why we offer Swank and Discovery streaming services.

Amazon Prime Video Terms of Use When agreeing to Amazon Prime Video Terms and Conditions upon account creation, specifications state that "Amazon grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable, limited license, during the applicable Viewing Period, to access and view the Digital Content in accordance with the Usage Rules, for personal, non-commercial, private use." Amazon has not made provisions for educational screenings of its content. While classroom use would be non-commercial, it would not be considered personal/private use. Streaming Amazon content in a classroom setting would be a direct violation of licensing terms (section 4h).
Disney Plus User Agreement When agreeing to Disney Plus Subscriber Agreement upon account creation, specifications grant subscribers limited personal use to "make non-commercial, personal use of the Disney+ Service" and "stream...materials. The agreement is clear to point out that subscribers cannot "rebroadcast, transmit, or perform the Disney+ Content" (Section 3biii). The Disney+ agreement makes no provisions for educational screenings of its content. While classroom use would be non-commercial, it would not be considered personal use. Streaming Disney+ content in a classroom setting would be a direct violation of the subscriber agreement.
HBO Terms of Use When agreeing to HBO Terms of Use upon account creation, specifications state that "You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, publish, enter into a database, display, perform, modify, create derivative works, transmit, or in any way exploit any part of this Service, except that you may access and display material and all other content displayed on this Service for non-commercial, personal, entertainment use on a single computer or device only." HBO has not made provisions for educational screenings of its content through personal accounts. While classroom use would be non-commercial, it would not be considered personal use. Streaming HBO content in a classroom setting would be a direct violation of licensing terms (section 6a).
Hulu Terms of Use When agreeing to Hulu Terms and Conditions upon account creation, specifications state that "using the services, including accessing and viewing the Content on a streaming-only basis, [is for] personal, non-commercial purposes." Hulu has not made provisions for educational screenings of its content. While classroom use would be non-commercial, it would not be considered personal use. Streaming Hulu content in a classroom setting would be a direct violation of licensing terms (section 3.2).

Special thanks to the JET Library Streaming Media LibGuide, UM Flint Media in the Classroom LibGuide and UMich Copyright and Using Video LibGuide for providing clear information on this topic.