The surprising breadth of "public performance" is the basis for the famous Girl Scout copyright royalty demand http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/17/nyregion/ascap

The surprising breadth of "public performance" is the basis for the famous Girl Scout copyright royalty demand http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/17/nyregion/ascap-asks-royalties-from-girl-scouts-and-regrets-it.html http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/17/nyregion/ascap-asks-royalt... Movie theaters are familiar with risks in this area, so they might have their own rules about what you can and can't watch when you rent out a theater.