TEACH Act
Overview
The Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act (“TEACH Act”) allows for the performance or display of certain copyrighted works in online/remote instruction. The TEACH Act attempts to balance the benefits of robust and creative teaching with the rights of a copyright holder, acknowledging the ease with which copyrighted works can be infringed in an online setting.
The following chart provides a few illustrative examples of how the TEACH Act may (or may not) apply to various remote instruction activities.
| TEACH Act May Apply* | TEACH Act Does Not Apply** |
|---|---|
| Streaming reasonable and limited portions of a movie or TV show during a remote class session | Reproducing and uploading a full-length movie or TV show for students to view outside of class |
| Streaming a full-length nondramatic musical work during a remote class session | Recording and sharing a student performance of a full-length dramatic musical work |
| Quoting lengthy excerpts from a nondramatic literary work during a remote class session | Distributing book chapters, journal articles, or other readings to students digitally |
| Displaying images during a remote class session in an amount comparable to a typical live classroom session | Reproducing and distributing large collections of images |
*Other conditions of the TEACH Act must be satisfied (see Requirements tab above)
**Other legal exemptions, including fair use, may apply