TEACH Act Toolkit TEACH Act Toolkit
The Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH Act), passed in 2002, was intended to update copyright law (specifically, Section 110(2)) pertaining to transmissions of performances and displays of copyrighted materials. Although the act never uses the phrase "distance education" or "online courses", this is the part of the copyright act that addresses it through use of the word "transmission".
Thus, any time a performance (music, movies, etc.) or display (image, text, etc.) is transmitted (cable television, over the web), the TEACH exception might be an option for our faculty. However, if the shoe doesn't fit, other options may be available, like fair use. To understand the TEACH Act and its requirements, please explore the drop-down menus to the left: Implementation, Background, and Challenges.
In the years since TEACH was enacted, few institutions have been able to fully benefit from it, mainly because of its technological hurdles. NC State University, however, has created a solution for the most difficult hurdle, the "downstream control."
TEACH Act FAQ's are available in the FAQ section
TEACH Resources beyond NC State are available in the Resources & Tutorials section