TEACH ACT OF 2002

Educators get:

• most types of works now allowed; restrictions on dramatic works removed; "consumables" and commercial DL content prohibited; original copy must be legally acquired (not necessarily bought)
• most locations now allowed; restriction on users being in classrooms removed
• storage and transmission explicitely allowed, though time is still a factor
• allows digitizing of analog works

Institutions must:

• be accredited non-profit
• create institution-wide copyright policies
• provide copyright info to its faculty
• provide notice to its students
• restrict content to enrolled students; not to the general browsing public
• apply reasonable technological restrictions to restrict content by audience, time, etc. and not to disable any vendor-supplied technological restrictions that come with content
• digital content sharing must take place under the "oversight" of an instructor

Faculty are not required to follow the TEACH Act. If they and their institution elect to follow the TEACH Act requirements (e.g., create institution-wide copyright policies, provide notice to students, etc.), they may act comfortably within the expanded provisions (e.g., most types of works allowed; most locations allowed, etc.).

Faculty are also free to do what they feel is acceptable and legal under their Fair Use rights or by licensing content from a vendor.