TEACH Act

Basics for Instructors

This information and provided links are to provide you with help in navigating numerous copyright issues and the TEACH Act.
           
The T.E.A.C.H. Act is the Technology, Education And Copyright Harmonization Act of 2002. It was signed into law by President Bush on November 2nd, 2002.

The TEACH Act updates copyright law for digital online education. It is an effort to bring the digital classroom closer to the traditional classroom, especially in terms of displays and performances.

American Library Association. The TEACH Act           

Georgia Southern University TEACH Act Checklist

Penn State. TEACH Act

U.S.Copyright Office. TEACH

TEACH Act does NOT allow instructors to use materials in virtual classrooms in the same way that instructors can use copyrighted materials in traditional classrooms.

TEACH Act Does:

• “Permit the display & performance of nearly all types of works
• Places no restriction on a recipient’s location
• Permits retention of student access & content for the length of the "class session"
• Permits storage & copy of materials when necessary for digital transmission to students
• Permits digitization of analog works. Only if used for limited time & not already available through another means to the institution” University of Washington Copyright Connection.

To comply with the TEACH Act, instructors must:

1. Limit access by authentication, current enrollment, set time (single class session), displays & performances, control downloads.
2. Displays & performances must be integral part of class sessions, part of systematic instructional activity, directly related & important to the content of course.