There are no federal laws governing the sale of your class notes. However, some states have laws on the matter. If you are planning to sell your class notes, make sure you research the laws of the state you live in.
Selling your high school, college or university’s class notes is considered the unauthorized use of copyrighted materials.
The unauthorized use of copyrighted materials is not illegal in and of itself. However, the unauthorized sale of these materials could potentially be a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). This federal law gives content owners the right to stop people from uploading, sharing, or editing their content without their express permission. When someone uploads or shares a piece of content, the owner has the option to file a DMCA takedown notice to have the content removed.
Class notes can be sold to other students in the same class, or to those in other classes.
Buying and selling class notes is not illegal in the United States. The use of student notes and handouts as a business is a gray area. While some professors encourage the free exchange of class notes, others may take legal action against you for using their work.
The selling of class notes to other students in the same class is acceptable, as long as they are not for commercial purposes.
If the class notes you are selling are your own original work, then there should not be a problem. If you are selling someone else’s class notes taken from the school’s website, whether it is for a fee or for credit, you will likely be in violation of the school’s website terms of use agreement. However, if you buy the class notes from the school yourself for your own use, then there is no issue.
However, selling class notes to other classes or to individuals outside of the university is illegal, regardless of the purpose.
The short answer is yes, selling your class notes to other students is illegal. However, it is possible to sell your class notes as a private business if you hire a company to help you. If you want to sell your class notes to other students, you will need to make sure that you do not break any other laws. If you do give out your class notes for free, you could be breaking the law by offering educational materials for a price.
Always ask your university or college if it has any restrictions on selling your class notes.
The legality of selling class notes for cash depends on the state and the type of class. Some states have laws that allow for the sale of class notes as long as the student has a signed agreement with their professor that allows the student to sell their notes. Other states, however, have laws that make it illegal for a student to sell their class notes. If you are unsure of the legality of selling class notes, it is best to check with your school first to make sure you are following all the rules.
Some may require you to pay a fee.
The short answer is no. It’s perfectly legal to sell your educational materials as long as you don’t claim that the information is a replacement for a degree or a license. If you’re just looking to make some extra money, then passing on your class notes to help others learn the material is a great idea.
Additionally, selling class notes could result in a grade reduction or even expulsion.
If you are selling class notes that you have created yourself and are not a part of a course syllabus, then generally speaking, no, it is not illegal. However, if the professor has given you the class notes as a mandatory component of the course, and you are distributing the notes to other students without the professor's consent, that could be a violation of the school's intellectual property rights.
Conclusion
If you sell your class notes, it can be difficult to prove that the information in your notes is authentic. If your professor does not provide official course notes, you may be able to use notes from other students. However, it is important to keep your notes organized. It is also a good idea to take notes using a note-taking software so your notes are easier to find. If you are in doubt whether your professor's course notes are authentic or not, ask your professor if they will sign a release authorizing you to sell your class notes.