Guilford Technical Community College

GTCC  (336) 334-4822  P.O. Box 309  Jamestown, NC 27282

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The TEACH Act

The Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act of 2001, also known as the TEACH Act, changes the law that prohibited universities from performing audio-visual works, including videos, over the internet and other telecommunications systems without permission from the copyright holder.

The TEACH Act allows not-for-profit institutions of higher learning to transmit "limited and reasonable" portions of videos and other AV works under the supervision of a college instructor over a secure system accessible by enrolled students only.

The key provisions of the bill are that:

. The performance or display of a video can take place "at the direction of" or under the actual supervision of an instructor in a not-for-profit educational institution.

. The performance can only be received by students who are enrolled in a secure course that cannot be accessed by the public.

. The transmitting institution must educate its faculty members about copyright law.

. Furthermore, the institution must take measures to keep the work inaccessible to the public while the course is not in session.

For further information about copyright, see the Copyright Guidelines in the Management Manual.

Easy Summary of the TEACH Act , from Copyright Clearance Center.

Text of the Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act of 2002 as passed by Congress and signed into law by the President.

The complete 21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, in PDF.

Summary by the American Library Association.

Title 17, Section 110, U. S. Code 
(Limitations on exclusive rights: Exemption of certain performances and displays.)

Title 17, Section 112, U. S. Code
(Limitation on exclusive right: "ephemeral recordings")

TEACH Teleconference, January 14, 2003

Checklist for Compliance with the TEACH Act, by Indiana State U.

To obtain the complete links to the actual bill yourself, as well as "GPO's PDF version of this bill, References to this bill in the Congressional Record, Link to House Committee Report 125, Link to House Committee Report 685, Link to the Bill Summary & Status file, Printer Friendly Display, "
go to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d107query.html, [107th Congress].  
Type "HR 2215" in the "Bill, Amendment, or Public Law Number" form field. 
Click "Text of Legislation." 
Look for "Subtitle C--Educational Use Copyright Exemption," and click there.