In November 2002, Congress passed H. R. 2215, the Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH) to update copyright law regarding the digital use of copyrighted material. Under this law, if both the individual faculty member and the institution meet a number of specific guidelines, the Act permits digital transmission of copyrighted works for educational purposes without obtaining permissions:
- The university has a responsibility to institute and promote a policy concerning copyright and provide informational materials regarding copyright to its community.
- Materials must be course-specific and similar to what would be used in a face-to-face environment.
- Materials should be made available only to those enrolled in the specific course and not available on the "open web." Password-protected course pages in a learning management system (LMS) like Blackboard are an example of limiting access to materials.
- Posted materials must be accompanied by a notice of copyright to inform students that materials must be used in accordance with copyright law and the institution's copyright policies.
Learn more about the TEACH Act.
