Who owns my lessons?

Response from the Education Minnesota lawyers to, Who owns my lessons?

We understand and appreciate that educators have spent significant time and effort developing distance learning content, including video tutorials and lesson plans. You are right to be proud of your work, and you have the right to share it with others, providing that what you share does not include any private student data. There are many great platforms for educators to view and share their distance learning materials, and we have created a resource with some of the best networks here.

However, under federal copyright law, any materials or content you develop for distance learning classes are considered the property of your school district, even if you create these materials outside of your duty day or go above and beyond what is required for your job. Consequently, if you attempt to sell these materials to others, the school district may have a legal claim on any profits you receive. More commonly, you might face disciplinary action from your district for violating policies prohibiting the sale of course materials or using the district or school’s name to imply an endorsement.

Some districts do allow educators to sell instructional materials, but they have detailed procedures for seeking administrative permission and severing any legal rights or responsibilities the school may have in the content.