“I record lectures when I’m too tired or struggling to keep up. Since most lectures lack supplementary materials, I think recordings can be a useful tool for revising.” (PNU Student A, College of Natural Sciences) “Even when I try hard to concentrate, sometimes I can’t keep up with the pace of the lecture. I wish there were alternatives when lecture-based learning gets tough.” (PNU Student B, College of Social Sciences) “Students recording lectures are so common that even professors asking not to record are sometimes caught on tape.” (PNU Student C, College of Humanities)

As of March 29th, lecture recording is widely accepted among university students as a common study method and a way to prepare for exams. However, university lectures are classified as copyrighted material, and recording them without the instructor’s permission is not allowed. According to copyright law, recording lectures without consent constitutes unauthorized duplication. Although some personal use is permitted for learning purposes, increasing cases of buying and selling lecture recordings have raised concerns.

It’s not hard to find students who buy, sell, or share lecture recordings beyond personal academic use. A search for “recording” on Everytime, Pusan National University (PNU)’s anonymous online community app, over the past year yields 83 posts such as “Looking to buy lecture recordings.” Based on recordings obtained and even considering posts that were subsequently deleted, it can be determined that hundreds of posts are made annually.

The situation is worsening with the rise of AI apps that make sharing and editing audio easier. AI transcription tools can convert speech to text in real-time and summarize the content. These features allow easy storage, editing, and distribution, enabling the spread and misuse of recordings. PNU Student D from the College of Social Sciences said, “I know recording without permission can be problematic, but AI summaries are so helpful that I’ll probably keep doing it.”

Buying or selling lecture recordings is clearly illegal. According to Yoon Seok-Chan (Prof. of Graduate School of Law, PNU), all actions such as trading audio files among students, exchanging individual audio files and distributing them on web page bulletin boards are violations of copyright law and subject to criminal punishment. PNU’s “Guidelines for Remote Class Operation” Article 19 (Students’ Legal Compliance Obligation) prohibits recording lectures without prior approval, transmitting or distributing videos and materials to third parties,. capturing images or videos, storing them, or transmitting or distributing them to third parties.

Of course, not all lecture recordings are legally prohibited. Article 30 of the Copyright Act permits copying someone else’s work if it’s for non-profit, personal use, within the scope of home or similar limited use if a student records a lecture for learning purposes and uses the recording only for themselves, they will not bear legal responsibility.

Still, recording lectures without the consent of the lecturer is not free from legal risks. Prof. Yoon stated, “Unauthorized recording of university lectures has a high likelihood of legal issues, including potential copyright infringement, possible violation of Articles 3 and 14 of the Communications Secret Protection Act, potential liability for damages due to voice rights violations, yet many students are unaware of these illegalities.” He urged students to be mindful, adding, “As the attitude of an educated person is to adhere to ethics, morality, courtesy, and manners, I hope students will become more conscious of the immorality of unauthorized recording.”

As abuse has increased, some professors now explicitly prohibit lecture recording. PNU Professor E said, “I’m aware some students record lectures. But since it can’t be guaranteed that they’re only using them for reviewing, if unauthorized recording is discovered, students may be graded an F.”

On the other hand, some argue that recording should not be restricted. For students in language-related courses, listening to accurate pronunciation is essential for graduation-required speaking exams. PNU Student F from the College of Humanities shared, “I recorded lectures to practice speaking for oral exams. It’s hard to prepare without listening closely to how the professor pronounces things.” In response, Lee Jin-Kwang (Part-time Lecturer of German Language and Literature, PNU) said, “I know that students occasionally record lectures.  If it’s for supplementing notes and reviewing, and does not cause discomfort to other students or compromise fairness, I don’t think there’s a need to strictly forbid it.”

Thus, there are calls for the Head Offices to intervene and prevent illegal behavior or provide alternatives to voice and lecture recordings. Prof. Yoon suggested, “If we distribute an official guideline, professors can explain the recording policy on the first day of class. That way, students can request permission, and professors can prepare more refined lectures.” Prof. E added, “Preventative education or providing substitutes for lecture recording could be helpful. Both students’ awareness and evaluation methods should evolve as well.”

Reporter Jeon Ha-Eun

Translated by Seo Yoo-Jung