What is the Teach Act?
The “Technology, education and Copyright Harmonization Act” (TEACH Act):
- Provides educators more opportunity for the use of copyrighted works in distance education programs
- Offers adequate copyright protection to those works.
In order to qualify educators must meet these requirements:
Institutions must:
- Be an accredited, non-profit educational institution
- Have copyright policies and must post a copyright notice on online course materials
- Have technological measures in place to support compliance with TEACH Act requirements
Copyright materials:
- Must be for a "mediated instructional activity"
- Must be limited to students enrolled in the class
- Must be used in live or asynchronous class sessions
- May not include textbook materials "typically acquired or purchased by students"
- Only "reasonable portions" of the original work may be used
For a more detailed explanation and definitions of terms, See opens new windowCopyright Crash Course .
Copyright Basics: Teach Act
- Copyright and the Teach ActA brief guide to the TEACH Act from the Copyright Clearance Center
- Using Copyrighted Works in your Teaching - FAQQuestions Faculty and Teaching Assistants Need to Ask Themselves Frequently
This FAQ is arranged around a sequence of 6 overarching questions that collectively represent a good-faith analysis for circumstances that are common in teaching at most universities. - Exceptions for Instructors in U.S. Copyright LawThe U.S. Copyright Code provides for the educational use of copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder under certain conditions. To find out if your intended use meets the requirements set out in the law, use this free, online tool.
This tool can also help you collect information detailing your educational use and provide you with a summary in PDF format.
