USA Bus Lines

Is it illegal to watch a Disney movie on a charter bus?

My daughter's chorus teacher won't let the kids bring Disney movies on a trip in a charter bus because she says that it is illegal. I know reproducing or playing the movies for a profit is illegal, but if they are just showing a legitimately purchased copy, it really is illegal? I'm sure Disney is picky about copyright laws, but if it's illegal for Disney movies to be shown on a charter bus, wouldn't all movies (except home made movies) be illegal too? Can someone clear this up for me? Thanks!

Public Comments

1. Hes off his rocker...lol
2. i don't think it's illegal. it may depend on where you live though.
3. What a stupid teacher. NO!
4. It's a legitimately purchased video and you're not charging admission to view it? Then I don't see how it could be illegal. We've watched movies on charter busses for school trips plenty of times.
5. That's ridiculous. As long as nobody is charging to see the movie, it's fine.
6. Technically, yes, it is illegal...but I seriously doubt anyone is going to arrest you or the teacher for it as long as you're not charging for it. If you notice, on the beginning of the DVD before the movie actually starts, you'll see a disclaimer saying that the movie is not for a public performance. If you're really freaked out about getting arrested, you can call Disney (ask for the Home Entertainment department) and get a public performance license, which will most likely be free for a school. You might check with the charter bus company. They may actually already have a public performance license. A bus company would just pay a small yearly fee and may have already taken care of it.
7. A charter bus is like an airplane - they amount to small theaters. If the bus or airplane doesn't have permission to show the movie, they cannot legally do so. Remember the old VHS days, where there was an FBI warning and then "This tape is for home viewing purposes only. Any public performance, broadcast, etc...is strictly prohibited." Charter buses, airplanes, getting your whole neighborhood together to watch it on a video projector in the backyard... all technically illegal.
8. No more illegal than showing the same movie in the classroom. It certainly would not be illegal if your daughter watched the movie on a portable DVD player on her lap.
9. I agree with Cheryl. If you watch the warnings at the beginning of movies it specifies that it can't be shown to an audience. My last couple years of high school (several years ago) they were very particular about what movies we could watch in English class because they had to use them from a list. It's not just disney movies but all movies that are copywrited.
10. If the movie was purchased by someone, then it is NOT illegal to show it, unless someone is making a profit off of it. I doubt the bus company is selling the idea of a rolling Disney theater.