The use of popular media in EFL classrooms is an immensely popular and widely used pedagogical tool. Popular movies, television programs and musical recordings present learners of a foreign language with authentic, natural language in an attractive package that readily captures and maintains the attention of students. That these types of resources are so prevalent in foreign language classrooms, particularly in conversation laboratories, attests to their efficacy as instructional aids. However, such materials are invariably protected by copyright, and their public dissemination carries obligations under applicable law in the relevant jurisdiction, as well as penalties for a breach of those obligations. The purpose of this article is to provide teachers with a brief overview of the Copyright Law of the Republic of China as it pertains specifically to the use of copyrighted materials in the classroom.
