Student Guide

Video Policy

This policy statement governs the use of copyrighted, rented or privately owned videos on campus. Recognizing our rural locale, we wish to help students make positive use of the home video market. Any campus use of video entertainment, however, needs to fall within the legal guidelines for video use and within our community standards for acceptable entertainment.

The Legal Question:

The copyright law concerning home video forbids 'performing the copyrighted work publicly' and defines “publicly” as:

to perform or display at a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered.

The Motion Picture Association would like to define this to include all college residence halls; however, this view has not prevailed in the courts. Many colleges and universities are continuing to define their residence halls as a home. Based upon the advice of a spokesperson for the National Association of Campus Activities, Houghton College will allow controlled use of videos in floor lounges. At such a time as litigation modifies college or university use, Houghton College will comply with the decision of the courts.

Video Usage in the Residence Halls and College Owned Houses:

We consider our campus residences to be both a family environment and the home of our students. As a result, we feel it appropriate that a random group of friends or floor-mates should be allowed to come together to rent and watch a video in the hall or house. Several legal guidelines, however, must apply:

1. The event must be spontaneous, not a regularly scheduled or programmed event.

2. No organization may plan or sponsor a video event for entertainment purposes.

3. The event may not be advertised in the residence halls or on campus.

4. No admission fee may be charged.

In addition, in order to be sensitive to the various members of our community and to accommodate the legal need for the spontaneous nature of the video event, it is determined that we will be guided by the national rating system.

* Students may only show movies rated G or PG (or titles previously approved by the Film Review Board) in the lounges of any hall or house.

* Students may make their own decisions about PG-13 and R rated movies. If they choose to watch these, they may do so only in their private rooms, not in a common living area.

* NC-17 and X rated movies are not appropriate to be viewed anywhere on campus or in college approved housing.

Video Usage Elsewhere on Campus:

The unlicensed use of copyrighted videotapes in any other campus entertainment settings is not legal. This falls under the jurisdiction of the Campus Activities Committee. [Note: separate laws and campus policies govern the use of videos for educational purposes]

Additional Notes:

-The RA, RDA, or RD has the authority to limit or reject any video event, either in a lounge or private room.

-Any group wanting to show a video for educational purposes should refer to the film review policy and direct any legal questions to the Director of Student Programs.

-Any group wanting to obtain a public exhibition license for an advertised video event and/or an event with an admission fee, can do so by contacting one of our movie rental agencies through the Student Programs office or CAB. These films would fall under the guidelines for the Film Review and Video Policies.

-It is considered inappropriate to show a movie in the residence hall that is concurrently being shown by CAB. The Resident Director will prohibit such showings.

-Violations of this video policy may result in sanctions by the Office of Student Life