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Copyrights are a form of intellectual property that gives the author, the owner or the distributor of original work (movies, literature, music, etc.) exclusive rights for a certain time period in relation to that work, including its publication, distribution, adaptation and use.
• What is a public performance?
• What are public performance movie licenses?
• Why do you need a license?
• Who needs a license?
• Are there exceptions for educational institutions?
• Are all movies covered by copyrights?
• Who regulates copyrights?
• Why are copyrights important?
• What is ACF’s role?
• Once licensed, how do I obtain films?
• What about video-on-demand services such as Netflix® and Disney+® ?
• Can I copy a movie in DVD format onto my computer?
• Am I allowed to do fundraisers with my license?
• Do I still need to get a license if I use my own copies and my presentations are free?
• Do you make pricing exceptions for small organizations?
• Do you offer special group licensing rates?
• How can I find out if a movie is covered by ACF?
• What kinds of licenses are available?
What is a public performance?
A public performance is any type of movie presentation that occurs outside of a private dwelling (your house, condo or apartment) or for audiences others than family and friends. Any type of presentation occurring outside of your home will be considered a public performance. However, if you show a movie in your backyard to one hundred people, that too would be considered a public performance.
Events occurring in private associations, private clubs, and private businesses are still all considered public performances.
Movie licenses are authorizations from a rights owner, representative or distributor to use a commercially available movie in a public performance context. ACF is an official authorized rights representative for numerous major studios and films and thus has the authority to issue licenses for thousands of commercially available movies.
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 Audio Cine Films Inc. As the exclusive rights representative for numerous studios, producers and films, ACF is mandated to look after their performance rights. Please click here to consult the complete list of our partner studios.
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.
All organizations that present commercially available movies in a public performance environment are required to obtain a license from the appropriate rights representative. This applies even if presentations are free of charge, for non-profit reasons or if copies are obtained from personal collections, retail stores or online retailers.
To resume, all public performances of commercially available copyrighted movies must be licensed, notwithstanding the type, nature or vocation of your organization.
• Business Associations
• Campgrounds (public & private)
• Churches and Religious organizations
• Colleges, Universities and all types of Post-Secondary Institutions
• Convention and Conference Centers
• Clubs and Film Societies
• Corporations and Private Business
• Correctional Institutions
• Cultural and Community Centers & Associations
• Day and Summer Camps
• Dormitory Residences
• K-12 Elementary and Secondary Schools
• Kindergartens (commercial, private and home-based)
• Governmental Facilities
• Hotels, Motels and Resorts
• Lodges and Commercial Summer Cottages
• Military Bases
• Municipal Organizations
• Museums and Science Centers
• Provincial Parks
• Public Libraries
• Restaurants and Bars
• School Boards and Private School Associations
• Youth/Seniors Centers
For more information, do not hesitate to contact us.
Yes, in 2012 the Canadian Parliament passed Bill C-11: The Copyright Modernization Act. It expanded copyright exemptions for provincially administered educational institutions (i.e. not private commercial institutions) allowing for the presentation of copyrighted commercially available movies for educational purposes.
Notwithstanding changes to copyright regulations, a public performance license is required by law for all educational institutions that present commercially available movies within a leisure environment. The public performance exceptions contained in C-11 are strictly educational in nature and do not apply to presentations occurring outside of a classroom curriculum related context.
• 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 if movies are personally owned or purchased from retail stores? YES
• Do I need a license for charity fundraiser events? YES
• Do movie events organized by parents associations require a license? YES
• Are the movies and studios listed here covered by other vendors? NO
• Do copyright laws allow me to show movies for leisure purposes without a license? NO
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.
Copyrights in Canada are under the responsibility of the Federal Government and all aspects of the Law are handled by the Copyright Board of Canada.
Additional investigative, legal and piracy issues are handled by the Motion Picture Association - Canada (MPA-Canada).
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
As a major non-theatrical (markets outside commercial theatres) Canadian public performance rights representative, we are mandated to protect the rights of the studios, producers and films we exclusively represent in Canada. We issue public performance licenses that allow individuals and organizations to present copyrighted commercially available movies without infringing upon the Canadian Copyright Act.
We offer public performance licenses that allow persons or organizations (commercial, not for profit and public) to present commercially available movies in public while respecting the Canadian Copyright Act.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions concerning specific aspects of copyrights and how they apply to your organization.
Our licensing program allows organizations to obtain commercially available movies from any legal source available, such as video rental, retail stores, and personal collections. ACF is not liable or responsible for the availability of any film title.
Our streaming website also offers easy access to commercially available movies we represent. Streaming licenses are not part of our basic license offer. They are an add-on and will appear as a separate product on your invoice. You can apply for a streaming license here.
Pre-release titles are exclusively available from us and are shipped directly to you for your event. Please note that pre-releases are not available in streaming. Booking requests must be sent by email or by using our quote request form, and confirmed by one of our representatives.
USAGE OF NETFLIX®, DISNEY+®, GOOGLE PLAY®, CRAVE TV® AMAZON PRIME® AND ITUNES® STREAMING SERVICES; These types of services are meant for private home use only and cannot be used for public performances under any circumstances. The "terms of usage" of all of these services explicitly prohibit public performances and this applies to all types of movies and programs available on their sites. Any account with these companies are personal in nature and cannot be extended to third party organizations such as educational institutions.
ACF OFFERS ITS OWN STREAMING SERVICE. It's an easy-to-use service with hundreds of recent blockbusters, older favorites, and classics. This service is an add-on to your current license. In order to register, we need the PUBLIC IP ADDRESS RANGE for your organization. Your IT department can give you the required information. It is also possible to create a login/password account.
No, movies are licensed in their original format and cannot be modified, edited or changed in any way whatsoever. Format shifting is strictly prohibited by the Canadian Copyright Act.
Fundraisers are only allowed if your agreement with ACF specifically mentions it.
Yes, all public presentations must be licensed, even if you own the movie and you are not charging anything.
Yes, depending on the circumstances. Please fill out the quote request form.
Yes, special group pricing is available for almost any type of organization. Please fill out the quote request form.
The quickest way is to check our search engine or contact us. Please note that certain titles may have expired rights and may not appear on our web site, even if they are identified as belonging to one of the studios we represent.
Annual public performance licenses from ACF allow for the public showing of films produced by the studios and producers we exclusively represent. Rates vary according to the type of organization and the circumstances of your events. Once licensed, you can present movies from the studios and producers we represent.
Special rates and conditions are available for small organizations.
With the annual license, it is also possible to apply for ACF's streaming service, as an add-on to your current license.
Please click here for additional information on annual licenses.
Ideal for special events, short-term licenses are for single presentations at a specific date. Costs start at $300.00 for regular movies and $450.00 for pre-releases ($40 + shipping, handling and taxes) and vary according to the scope of your event. • Please note that these rates are minimum prices, and will usually apply to events with 40 or less people in attendance. Pricing for larger events will be more expensive.
Please note that pre-releases are not available in streaming.
Please submit the following quote request form for a complete quote.
Special licenses can be issued for different lengths of time (day, week, month, etc.) or benefit from volume discounts.
For more information, do not hesitate to contact us
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