No, the Simpson Library does not have institutional access to Netflix.

Short answer: NO

Exception: Some Netflix Original educational documentaries are available for one-time educational screenings. To find out which titles are available for educational screenings, visit Netflix Media Center and search for the documentary by title.

For more information about these educational screenings, scroll down or visit Netflix's guide to educational screenings of documentaries.

Explanation: The Netflix Terms of Use specifies that the account is "for your personal and non-commercial use only." Netflix is not alone here. Amazon Prime, Hulu, and other personal streaming vendors do not grant rights for institutional or educational use.

This is important because licenses overrule copyright exemptions. Showing your personal DVD during class is covered by a specific copyright exemption (Section 110), and showing clips can be covered by fair use (Section 107). However, there is no copyright exemption for showing videos in the classroom from personal subscription video services when the license prohibits such viewing.

This is why the library offers to obtain streaming videos through our institutional subscription vendors like Alexander Street Press, Kanopy, and Films on Demand.

• Educational Screening of Documentaries

Some Netflix Original educational documentaries are available for one-time educational screenings. 

To find out which titles are available for educational screenings, visit media.netflix.com and search for the title or browse our recent and upcoming releases. Below, there is an incomplete list of documentaries that are covered by this educational screenings permission. Titles that are available for educational screening will display the following grant of permission on their details page:

GRANT OF PERMISSION FOR EDUCATIONAL SCREENINGS - taken from Netflix's website

Netflix is proud to present original documentaries that speak to our users in a meaningful way. We know that many of you are as excited about these titles as we are; and because of their informational aspects, you’d like to show them in an educational setting -- e.g., in the classroom, at the next meeting of your community group, with your book club, etc. 

Consequently, we will permit one-time educational screenings - "one-time screening" means that you can't hold screenings several times in one day or one week, but if, for example, you're an educator who wants to show the titles once a semester over multiple semesters, that's okay.  

Educational screenings are permitted for any of the documentaries noted with this information, on the following terms:

• The documentary may only be accessed via the Netflix service, by a Netflix account holder. We don’t sell DVDs, nor can we provide other ways for you to exhibit the titles.
• The screening must be non-profit and non-commercial. That means you can’t charge admission, or solicit donations, or accept advertising or commercial sponsorships in connection with the screening.
• Please don’t use Netflix’s logos in any promotion for the screening, or do anything else that indicates that the screening is “official” or endorsed by Netflix.
• We trust our users to respect these guidelines, which are intended to help you share and discuss our documentary content in your community.