united-states licensing entertainment-law
Do I have to pay movie licensing fees if I rent DVDs along with outdoor pavilions with movie projector/screen setup?
<p>I know that if I were to show movies to a public audience, I would have to pay a licensing fee. But what if I were renting DVDs to customers along with renting out to them a small, private outdoor pavilion with a movie projector/screen set up? They would be showing the movie to a small private gathering. Would anyone in this situation be in the wrong?</p>

<p>Checking <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/106" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cornell on copyright law</a>, the reserved rights include public performance and public display.  If you have a DVD legitimately, you still can't display or show publicly without a license.  So, the question would seem to be if this is a public performance.</p>

<p>A private performance is perfectly legal, and requires no further license.  If the public is admitted in some form, it's copyright infringement.</p>
