LibGuides: Scholarly Communications: Teaching Online

Copyright Guidance from USC Columbia

Copyright @ USC
The University of South Carolina is committed to upholding the U.S. Copyright Law and through the Policy on Network Access and Acceptable Use, specifically prohibits violation of the U.S. Copyright Law.
Copyright Policy - USC System
This policy addresses the rights to, interests in, protection and transfer of copyrighted works created by University of South Carolina faculty, instructors, staff, and students.
Copyright Policy for Blackboard- Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt both respects intellectual property law and promotes the generation of new knowledge and creativity in our campus community. This policy seeks to promote and respect the rights of students and faculty who provide course material and content to Blackboard as well as the rights of third-party producers whose content may be used in our teaching mission.

USC Columbia Copyright Policy H.2.a

A provision of federal copyright law, 17 U.S. Code § 110(1), provides that the performance or display of a copyrighted work—except knowingly showing an illegally duplicated film—by instructors or pupils in the course of face-to-face instructional activities of a nonprofit educational institution in a classroom or similar physical location, is not infringement.

The exemption applies to display of a work by means of any sort of projection device or process, but only as long as there is no transmission beyond the place where the class is occurring.

This allows for the use and display of films, art, literary works and other copyright works in in-person classes. It does not provide a copyright exemption if the class containing the copyrighted work is webcast or otherwise transmitted outside of the physical location where the class if being held, either synchronously or asynchronously.

USC Columbia Copyright Policy H.1.b.

Another provision of the law, 17 U.S. Code § 110(2) (known as the “TEACH Act”), applies to use or display of copyrighted material in classes that are transmitted either synchronously or asynchronously via webcast or other means. Such displays are not infringement as long as the following conditions are met:

“the performance or display is made by, at the direction of, or under the actual supervision of an instructor as an integral part of a class session offered as a regular part of the systematic mediated instructional activities;” You are in charge of the material
“the performance or display is directly related and of material assistance to the teaching content of the transmission;” The material relates to the class
the transmission is made solely for and reception is limited to “students officially enrolled in the course for which the transmission is made” or “officers or employees of governmental bodies as a part of their official duties or employment;” AND the material is just for the class’s students
the transmitting body or institution does the following:

provides materials and has in place policies that promote compliance with the copyright laws, legally procured
provides notice that the materials used in the course may be protected by copyright, give notice
applies measures that prevent recipients from retaining the transmission past the end of the class session or further distributing the work, and prevent further transmission
does not attempt to interfere with the copyright owner’s protection of the work.