a.  Generally, you are free to play original music CDs in a private and domestic setting. However, you cannot do so in a public setting. It does not matter that the event is free of charge or that the event is organised on an ad-hoc basis. It also does not matter that the event takes place on private property.

Only the copyright owners of the sheet music and lyrics of the tracks in the CDs have the exclusive right of public performance. If you want to play music in a public setting, you will need to obtain a licence from the relevant copyright owners.

What is "public" can be relatively wide in scope and depends on factors such as the size and nature of the audience, which the Court will consider and determine.

In the present scenario, you are opening the event to ALL residents of the condominium plus a limited number of guests, the identities of whom are unknown to you. In such a situation, you may be considered to be "performing" the sheet music and lyrics in a public setting and will need a licence from the relevant copyright owners.

This is unlike a situation where you invite a restricted number of your friends and family to the clubhouse for the event. In this situation, it is more likely that you would be able to establish that you are playing the music CDs in a private and domestic setting.

If you are playing the music CDs in a public setting, you should approach COMPASS (Composers and Authors Society of Singapore) for licensing permission. More details can be found on the COMPASS website.

Alternatively, you can choose to simply connect the PA system to a local radio station playing music appropriate for your event instead of playing CDs. Doing so is allowed under our copyright law.

b.  Generally, you are free to play movies comprised in original DVDs, or excerpts of such movies, in a private and domestic setting. However, you cannot screen the DVDs, or a substantial part of the movies comprised in a DVD, in a public setting. It does not matter that the event is free of charge or that the event is organized on an ad-hoc basis. It also does not matter that the event takes place on private property.

Only the copyright owner of the movie has the right to screen the movie or a substantial part of it in a public setting. If you want to screen the movie or a substantial part of the movie in a public setting, you will need to obtain a licence from the relevant copyright owner.

What is "public" can be relatively wide in scope and depends on factors such as the size and nature of the audience, which the Court will consider and determine.

In the present scenario, you are opening the event to ALL residents of the condominium plus a limited number of guests, the identities of whom are unknown to you. In such a situation, you may be considered to be screening the movie in public and will need a licence from the relevant copyright owner.

This is unlike a situation where you invite a restricted number of your friends and family to the clubhouse for the event. In this situation, it is more likely that you would be able to establish that you are playing the DVD in a private and domestic setting.

If you are uncertain whether a screening is public, it is advisable to check that the copyright owner is agreeable.

The above issue is a concern even though you only plan to screen movie excerpts, if the excerpts form a substantial part of the respective movies. What is "substantial"? This is a question of fact to be determined case by case. For example, if the excerpts screened comprise important or readily identifiable scenes in the movie (irrespective of duration), then it is more likely that you would have screened a substantial part of the movie. The test, therefore, is qualitative, rather than purely quantitative.

However, our copyright law does allow you to screen the excerpts for the specific purpose of criticism or review (e.g. reviewing whether a particular technique demonstrated in a video DVD is effective), as long as a sufficient acknowledgement is made.