Judith Herb College of Education

Copyright in the Classroom

Hands on Keyboard            Copyright Logo            Hand and Gavel

At the University of Toledo, we deal with copyrighted works every day in our courses, research or work.  Many questions have arisen on what is allowed to be utilized in courses.  This page contains information and resources on copyright, fair use and the TEACH Act.  We hope it will provide some insight when you utilize copyrighted material.  Links to additional pages can be found in the left menu.


The Copyright Act states that possessing a piece of media (either audio, video or photo) does not grant the individual the right to show that work. However, there are exceptions.

Section 110 of the Copyright Act- Limitations on Exclusive Rights

(1) performance or display of a work by instructors or pupils in the course of face-to-face teaching activities of a nonprofit educational institution, in a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction, unless, in the case of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, the performance, or the display of individual images, is given by means of a copy that was not lawfully made under this title, and that the person responsible for the performance knew or had reason to believe was not lawfully made;

Section 110 gives instructors several exceptions to the exclusive rights of a work for use in an educational environment. The following criteria must be met:

  1. Display the work in a face-to-face teaching setting. (This has been revised in the TEACH Act).
  2. Must be in a classroom at a non-profit educational institution.
  3. Does NOT allow copying, but copying may still be allowed under fair use.
  4. Works must be legally obtained.

Additional Resources and Links

 

Last Updated: 6/27/22