TV shows, films, and other audiovisual content, played from DVDs or viewed from the Internet, are intended for personal, private use only. If you wish to show the work in public, you must have a separate licence that specifically authorises the public exhibition of that work.
These rules are detailed in the Singapore Copyright Act 2021.
According to the Copyright Act 2021:
- Only the copyright owner holds the exclusive right, among others, to cause the visual images of the film to be seen in public, to cause any sounds of the film to be heard in public, and to communicate the film to the public (Section 124).
- Some limited exceptions do exist when using the work for the purpose of research and study, criticism, or news reporting (Sections 192 – 194) or if the work is fairly used (Sections 190 – 191), but all other public performances of copyrighted works are illegal unless they have been authorised by licence.
- Violation of the copyright owner’s exclusive rights without authorisation or a valid license is considered copyright infringement and the penalties for infringement can be steep and significant, including but not limited to an injunction, an account of profits, and damages up to S$200,000 (Sections 305 – 308).