Copyright for Libraries: TEACH Act
A resource to help librarians understand copyright issues.
Please note that ALA cannot give legal advice. If you need legal advice, you should contact an intellectual property attorney.
Distance Education
The “Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act,” commonly known as the “TEACH Act,” was enacted by Congress on October 4, 2002. It is a full revision of Section 110(2) of the U.S. Copyright Act. Its provisions enable educators to use copyrighted materials for distance education, with certain restrictions.
- The TEACH Act and some Frequently Asked QuestionsCovers the fundamentals of the law, the scope, how it impacts class sessions, library reserves and services.
- Distance Education and the TEACH Act (archived version)ALA's Washington Office collected links to the legislative history, TEACH Act FAQ, and best practices.
- Copyright and Distance Education (archived copy)Distance Education gives rise to complex copyright issues related to both the question of ownership of the newly created work, as well as the question of "fair use" of existing materials. The links included can guide you to some helpful resources on both points.
Copyright Law and the Distance Education Classroom by ISBN: 9780810851719Publication Date: 2004-12-28As technology and the idea of distance education is rapidly changing, so too must the law that protects copyrighted material. In 2003 U.S. copyright law was amended with the legislation now known as TEACH (Technology Education and Copyright Harmonization). Tomas Lipinski discusses these changes to copyright law and how they may ultimately affect traditional distance classrooms.
