The TEACH Act permits instructors to perform or display copyrighted works for distance education purposes. It allows transmission of digital resources to distance learning students and approves electronic storage of copyrighted content for brief periods of time. The TEACH Act also allows instructors to create digital versions of print works.
All types of digitized, copyrighted materials are affected by the TEACH Act, regardless of what format in which they were originally published.
Instructors must inform students that the materials are copyrighted and cannot be redistributed, copied or revised. Instructors must also inform students not to save copyrighted materials on their computers.
Institutions must ensure that copyrighted materials can only be accessed by the instructor, enrolled students and administrators. Institutions must also require that students use login credentials to access copyrighted materials online.
Instructors must not use copyrighted, digitized resources developed and sold specifically for educational use. Instructors must also not digitize materials that are already available in a digital format.
