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Streaming Media

"Streaming" multimedia allows the user to begin viewing video clips stored on our server, without first downloading the entire file. After a brief period of initializing and buffering, the file will begin to stream - or play - in real time.

It's on Netflix, can I show it in my class?

Short answer: No.

Except: Netflix is allowing educational screenings of some Netflix original documentaries. These films will indicate a "grant of permission for educational screenings."

Long answer: To determine if a title is one that may be shown in a classroom, follow these steps:

  1. Go to media.netflix.com.
  2. Use the search box to search by title or the filters to browse available titles.
  3. Click on your selected title, locate the film's Synopsis, and ensure that it contains the "GRANT OF PERMISSION FOR EDUCATIONAL SCREENING" notice. If it does not contain this notice, the title is NOT eligible for classroom screening.
    • Please follow the instructions set out by Netflix when screening the title in class.
    • This search box is merely a list. You must login to your personal Netflix account to view.

*Note that the Grant of Permission permits only one-time educational screenings, which means that you can’t hold screenings several times in one day or one week.

Source used Netflix - Molloy Libraries

What about film on Hulu, Amazon, PBS Passport, or others?

Short Answer: No.

Long Answer:  Institution subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu, Prime, PBS Passport, or Disney+ are not available to libraries or other educational or public institutions.

Even under fair use guidelines, you cannot legally show a film available on Hulu, Prime, PBS Passport, or Disney+ from your personal account in a synchronous classroom environment.  This applies to most Netflix films as well, with just a few exceptions. Please see the above section on Netflix. For other platforms, there are no exceptions for classroom use, and such use would violate Hulu, Prime, and Disney+'s licensing terms.

The only way to synchronously watch a film with your class is to use a service such as Teleparty, which allows people to watch videos simultaneously by logging in through their own accounts.

Source used Netflix - Molloy Libraries