Classroom Teaching Exemption
Do you want to perform or display a copyrighted work in your classroom? If so, your use might be allowed under the Classroom Teaching Exception, Section 110(1) of U.S. Copyright Law.
You can apply this exemption when:
- you are teaching your students face-to-face/in-person,
- you are in a classroom on campus (or "similar place devoted to instruction”),
- you are part of a nonprofit educational institution, and
- the copy of the work you want to use was legally obtained (i.e., not a pirated or bootlegged copy)
If you meet all of these conditions, you and your students are allowed to perform or display a work (including music, text, images, and video).
Examples of permitted uses:
- Show a full-length video that you checked out from the library.
- Have your students act out a scene from a play.
- Show news coverage of a current event.
- Display images of modern artwork.
- Read and discuss an editorial on a recent political issue.
NOTE: This exemption does not apply to sharing copies of works with your students. Course Reserves can help you share readings and other copyrighted materials with your students.
Important note!
In general, streaming any media in a classroom setting using a personal account (e.g., with Netflix, Spotify, etc.) is not permitted by the terms of use in the licensing agreement you have with the streamer. However, Netflix does have a list of documentaries that they allow users to share in an educational setting. Section 110(1) of U.S. copyright law allows you to play media in the classroom only from legally acquired DVDs, CDs, LPs, and so on. In addition, Emory Libraries has licensing agreements with several streaming media companies that provide educational content, and these agreements permit playing media from these providers in the classroom. For more information, please see our Films and Videos webpage.