Copyright basics for teacher-authors
Classroom use and selling are two different things. Material you can show your own class may be off limits in a resource you sell. This guide covers the basics every teacher-author should know.
Short answer: As a teacher selling resources, you own the copyright in what you create yourself, but texts, images, music and characters made by others usually need permission or a license before you can sell them. Exceptions for education or quotation differ by country and rarely cover commercial resources. When in doubt, write your own material, use public domain works carefully or ask a lawyer.
Do I own the copyright in resources I create?
In general, the person who creates an original work owns the copyright in it, and in many countries that protection exists from the moment you create it, without registration. There are exceptions, for example where work made for an employer belongs to the employer. Our page can teachers sell their own lesson plans? covers that question.
When you sell with TeachLessons, you keep your copyright and all other rights. You give us a non-exclusive license to sell the resource for as long as the agreement runs, and you can sell it anywhere else too. Buyers get the standard TeachLessons buyer license to use the resource; they don't get your copyright.
A simple habit: put a short copyright line on your resources, such as "(c) 2026 Your Name or Store Name. For use by the purchasing teacher." It reminds buyers of the terms and shows who made it.
Why can I use something in class but not in a resource I sell?
Many countries have exceptions or licensing schemes that let teachers use copyrighted material in teaching: showing a picture book on the board, copying a poem for a class, playing a song. These rules are usually tied to non-commercial, in-school use, and the details differ from country to country.
Selling a resource is commercial and reaches teachers you have never met, in other schools and other countries. An exception that covered your own lesson is unlikely to cover a product you sell. This is the most common misunderstanding among new teacher-authors.
Can I use other people's texts, images or music?
Only with permission or a license that covers commercial use, unless the work is in the public domain or a legal exception clearly applies. In practice:
| Material | Safer approach for resources you sell |
|---|---|
| Novel and picture book passages | Write questions that refer to the book by title and chapter instead of reprinting the text. Buyers use their own copy. |
| Poems and song lyrics | Use public domain poems, write your own, or get permission. Lyrics are often strictly licensed. |
| Photos and illustrations | Use your own photos, images with a commercial license, or public domain images you have checked. |
| Music and audio | Use your own recordings or tracks licensed for commercial use. Link to official sources rather than embedding. |
| Textbook pages and exam papers | Don't copy them. Write original questions in the same style and level. |
| Maps, charts and data | Check the source's license. Many government data sets allow reuse, but not all. |
For clip art and fonts, see our detailed guide on commercial use licenses. For AI-generated material, see selling resources made with AI tools.
What does public domain mean for teacher-authors?
Public domain works are no longer protected by copyright (or never were), so they can generally be used freely. Classic poems, older novels and historical documents often fall into this group. But how long copyright lasts differs between countries, so a work can be public domain in one country and still protected in another.
- Check the status for the countries you sell to, not only your own.
- A modern edition, translation or illustration of an old text may have its own copyright. Use an old edition or write your own version.
- Photos of old artworks can raise their own rights questions, depending on the country and source.
- Keep a note of the source and why you believe it is public domain.
Does fair use or fair dealing cover my resources?
Fair use (in the US) and fair dealing (in some other countries such as the UK, Canada and Australia) are legal exceptions that allow limited use of copyrighted material for purposes like criticism, review, quotation or education. Other countries have their own quotation rules. They all differ in wording and in how courts apply them, and whether a use is covered usually depends on the specific facts.
For teacher-authors this means: a short quotation that you analyze may be covered in some places. Reprinting whole texts, chapters, images or songs in a commercial resource is much less likely to be. Fair use and fair dealing are defenses, not permissions, and they don't come with a guarantee. If your resource depends on someone else's work, get permission or ask a lawyer.
Can I use brand names, characters or game names?
Trademarks protect names, logos and brand features rather than creative content. Using a well-known character, cartoon, toy brand or game name in your title or artwork can suggest a connection to that brand that doesn't exist. Renaming a resource later is much more work than choosing a neutral title from the start.
- Describe the activity instead of using the brand: "tile-based vocabulary game" rather than a board game's name, "plot quiz show" rather than a TV show's name.
- Don't use characters from films, books or games in your artwork.
- Avoid brand logos in thumbnails and previews.
- Referring to a novel by its title for a novel study is generally a normal way to identify the book, but don't copy its cover art.
Who is responsible for rights, and what happens if there is a complaint?
You are. In the Seller Agreement you confirm that you created the resource or hold all rights to it and that nothing in it infringes anyone else's rights. The Resource Rights Checklist you get after you apply helps you check this resource by resource.
TeachLessons does not check resources for third-party rights. If a claim arises because of your resource, you are responsible for it. We may take a resource offline immediately if we receive a complaint or have reason to believe it breaks rights or the law.
If a resource of yours is taken offline, you can fix the problem (for example, replace an image) and email a corrected version to support@stifo.de. This page is general information, not legal advice; for a specific question, ask a lawyer in your country.
Frequently asked questions
Do I keep my copyright when I sell with TeachLessons?
Yes. You keep your copyright and all other rights. TeachLessons gets a non-exclusive license to sell your resources while the agreement runs.
Can I reprint a book passage in a reading resource I sell?
Usually not without permission. Write questions that refer to the book by title and chapter so buyers use their own copy.
Does fair use cover teaching resources I sell?
Not reliably. Fair use and fair dealing differ by country and depend on the facts. Commercial use of whole works is much less likely to be covered.
Can I use public domain texts?
Generally yes, but copyright terms differ by country, and modern editions or translations can have their own copyright.
Can I use a game or brand name in my resource title?
It's safer not to. Brand and game names may be trademarks, so describe the activity instead.
Does TeachLessons check my resources for copyright?
No. We don't check for third-party rights. You are responsible, and we may take a resource offline if we receive a complaint.
Ready to sell your teaching resources?
Apply with the short form. We email you the seller documents, you send your final files with previews and thumbnails, and we set up your product pages, your author page and landing pages. You keep 70% of net revenue, with no fees and no exclusivity.
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General information about the TeachLessons Seller Program, not legal, tax or financial advice. The signed Seller Agreement sets out the binding terms. Questions: support@stifo.de.