Course Rights in Cyberspace: Ownership Issues in Online Education

The growing enthusiasm for and application of online digital media for delivering higher education have raised serious questions of ownership and conflicts over control of courses in cyberspace. These questions have brought copyright law to the fore and cannot be ignored. The technology and business models of online distance learning have the potential to change faculty roles and possibly impact academic freedom. To avoid legal entanglements, institutions of higher education must be aggressive in devising comprehensive policies that coordinate expectations, serve the interests of education, and protect those involved in the development, design, and distribution of online courses.