On Tue, 26 Nov 1996 mcber@interserf.net wrote:

        PODcon is an Anime, Star Trek, and Role-playing convention, with all
things vaugely related also appearing... but we are having problems with the
Anime portion. We are a _very_ poor club (we didn't exist last year, so we
have next to no budget _this_ year <sigh>) so we cannot aford to buy the
copyrights so we can show anime!

Most US anime companies will let you show their anime if you just ask them.
(By the way, I think you're confusing copyright with something else.  Getting
the right to show something is not "buying the copyright".)

        We would like to set up a 'Reading Room' in which we will place many
copies of many Fic's. Therefore we would like to ask permission to use some
of the fics that have appeared on this list, and ask for submissions! Due to
the copyright we cannot give you anything but the knowledge that many
unsuspecting humans will be reading your work...

Whether someone is paid makes no difference for copyright violation.