The Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act was passed signed into law in 2002.  This law extended the limited copyright exemption for instructional materials (fair use guidelines) into the realm of distance-learning education.

Resources for Understanding the TEACH Act:

• A brief explanation of the implications of the law for educators at the Copyright Clearance Center.
• The TEACH Act: Higher Education Challenges for Compliance written by Christopher L. Ashley and published by Educause’s Center for Applied Research
• Sloan Consortium Fair Use Guidelines for Educators