This document discusses copyright and fair use policies as they relate to distance education. It defines copyright as the legal rights granted to creators to control reproduction of their original works. Fair use allows limited use of copyrighted materials for purposes of teaching without requiring permission, as long as guidelines are followed. These include restrictions on the amount and type of content used from images, printed works, and other media. The TEACH Act and fair use criteria help enable use of copyrighted content in online education.