When uploading materials to the system, it’s essential to respect copyright law.
In general, any material you did not create yourself is protected by copyright. This means:
1. Security of Your Materials (Data Protection & AI)
Before we get into the legal details, the most important point first: Your materials are safe with us.
No AI Training: We do not use your uploaded documents, scripts, slides, or other materials to train AI models.
Closed Environment: Your content is accessible only to you and the participants of your specific course within OneTutor. It is not published or made available outside this environment.
2. Copyright for Teaching: More Is Permitted Than You Might Think
Under the German Copyright Act (Section 60a UrhG), instructors have considerable freedom to use copyrighted materials for teaching purposes. You do not need to obtain permission for every image or excerpt of text you use.
What you may legally upload:
Up to 15% of a work: You may make up to 15% of a published book, textbook, academic book, or other work available to your students.
Full use of certain smaller works: The following content may even be uploaded in full (100%):
Illustrations, photographs, and graphics.
Individual articles from academic journals or scientific publications.
Works of limited scope, such as poems or short texts of approximately up to 25 pages.
Out-of-print works that are no longer commercially available.
Your own materials: Anything you have created yourself can, of course, be uploaded without copyright concerns.
3. Who May Access the Materials?
The permissions under Section 60a UrhG apply to:
Instructors and participants of the respective course.
Instructors and examiners at the same educational institution.
4. Practical Tip: Cite Your Sources
Even when materials may be used under Section 60a UrhG, proper attribution — including the author, title, and, where applicable, the publisher — is legally required and is also good academic practice.