Collaborate: The productivity newsletter for e-learning, conferencing, and collaborative solutions. May 23, 2001: Volume 2, No. 1

The United States Congress passed the Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act of 2001 (S.487), which revises federal copyright law, allowing copyrighted materials to be used without infringement liability in instructional broadcasting, digital distance learning, or distance education.

The bill poses the following restrictions:
1) the copyrighted material can be displayed by or at the discretion of the instructor as an important part of the class;
2) the materials can only be received by the students enrolled in the course and officers/employees for which the materials are part of their duties;
3) copies can only be retained for no longer than reasonably necessary to complete the transmission; and
4) the transmitting institutions must take action to provide copyright protection of such works.

For information, visit http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:s.00487:.