Copyright policies and practices in higher education are shaped by federal legislation, most recently the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA, 1998), the TEACH Act (2002), and the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA, 2008). These laws seek balance between the rights of copyright holders and the needs of the public, including educators and learners. The DMCA and TEACH acts relate primarily to instructional use of copyrighted materials, whereas the HEOA is relevant in this context primarily for its inclusion of multiple mandates regarding online file sharing.
While Pacific Lutheran University provides support in the use of copyrighted materials for instructional use, it remains the responsibility of the individual instructor or student to comply with federal copyright law.