Legal Definitions - home-style exemption

The home-style exemption is a specific provision within U.S. copyright law that allows certain public establishments to play radio or television broadcasts for their customers without needing to obtain a special license or pay royalties for public performance. This means they are exempt from liability for copyright infringement that would otherwise arise from publicly displaying copyrighted content.

The exemption is called "home-style" because it applies only when the equipment used to receive and play the broadcast is similar to what one would typically find in a private home. Specifically, it must involve a single receiver (like a standard radio or television set) and not a sophisticated commercial sound system or multiple large screens that would create a "public performance" on a larger, commercial scale.

Here are some examples to illustrate the home-style exemption:

• Imagine a small neighborhood coffee shop that has a standard radio playing a local music station softly in the background for its patrons. The coffee shop uses a single, consumer-grade radio receiver, similar to one a person might have in their kitchen. Because the equipment is "home-style" and the broadcast is not being retransmitted or charged for, the coffee shop is protected by the home-style exemption and does not need a special license to play the radio station.

• Consider a doctor's waiting room where a single television set is mounted on the wall, tuned to a cable news channel. Patients waiting for their appointments can watch the news program. The television is a standard model, not part of a larger commercial display system, and the doctor's office is not charging patients specifically to watch TV. In this scenario, the doctor's office can rely on the home-style exemption to avoid copyright infringement claims for publicly displaying the news broadcast.

• Picture a small, independent gym with a single flat-screen TV in the corner showing a live sports game from a standard cable subscription. Members can watch the game while working out. The gym is not using multiple screens, a projector, or a commercial-grade sound system. Since the equipment is typical of what one would find in a home and the gym is not charging an additional fee for viewing the broadcast, it would likely fall under the protection of the home-style exemption.