Reception without a license or membership is illegal. Most PBS series are produced by a consortium of stations that underwrite the series and a producer who produces and distributes the series. The agreement between the stations and the producer frequently includes a provision authorizing the viewers of the underwriting stations to record and reuse the programs. The terms of these agreements vary widely and many European producers and distributors do not grant educational duplication rights. Because audiovisual works are excluded from the definition of literary works, audiovisual works may not be transmitted without a license.
Licenses are available from most educational video distributors and the prices are often negotiable.
Cable transmission rights can and should be specified in institutional purchase orders for audiovisual materials so the transmission right is acquired simultaneously with the purchase of the programs. Those sold with the rights usually cost more because of the additional value conveyed in the sale. Since they are sold without a performance license they are intended for private viewing in homes limited to family and friends. These videos are usually much cheaper than videos sold with a performance license. Other firms only sell films and videos without licenses.