# showing youtube vids at dance??



## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I want to use a laptop and big movie screen to throw some youtube Halloween vids up during the school's Halloween dance. There is some debate whether this is allowed under fair use laws. Since people post them on youtube (frequently quoting the Fed. fair use law) I was wondering if a dance would fall under same law? Using "Thriller" as an example, technically, I'm using the youtube poster's vid, not the original one via record company...at least this is how it would work in the art world, where you are not actually using the original work of art, but instead riffing off of it, so there would be no infringement. Any experience with this?


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## stagehand1975 (Feb 22, 2010)

If it were my videos, I wouldn't have a problem with.

However, you may not be able to access youtube from the schools internet conection. Most schools block it.

You might be better off finding the videos you want and making your own montage off them. Sounds difficult but you can do it right on your computer with some free video editing software.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Not experienced with this, but here are my thoughts anyway

Assuming you could get a direct link to YouTube using the school's internet, I can't see how having the videos play on a big screen during a dance is any different from watching the videos under any other circumstances. If you were charging a fee for folks to come watch the videos, I expect that would violate fair use.

Making a montage of the videos might actually violate fair use because you would be copying someone else's videos to make one of your own. Fair use laws do allow using snippets of a copyrighted material for educational purposes, but I don't think a school dance falls under the category of educational, unless maybe someone's teaching folks how to do the macarena.


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## Eric Striffler (May 6, 2006)

Roxy is right; if you charge a fee that's where it gets problematic. For example, it's illegal to buy a DVD and then charge people to come over and watch it. If you're just playing the videos, you're fine. Plus worst case scenario you just tell authorities that you assumed it was fine since it was on YouTube, let the uploader worry about it haha.

In general I would think you're fine!


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Oh sweet!! Now I just have to build some more cemetery fencing to keep the kids from dancing into the laptop-on-a-cart, and I'm all set. Good thing the gym has LOTS of outlets...


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