Choir caroling. (Copyright Question of the Month).

Q: If our institute choir goes caroling, is it a public performance? They pass door-to-door, singing inside people's dwellings (or in their doorways) or upon the street. If the carolers receive cookies and cocoa, is it a performance for profit? What if the choir performs in a shopping mall while strolling within its space?

A: If the carolers sing inside private residences or on doorsteps, a case might be made for a non-public performance. If the performance is public, you might rely upon fair use (section 107). Also, gaze at the exemption beneath ...