Copyright, Fair Use, & Creative Commons: Fair Use

Under certain circumstances, even copyrighted works can be reused. 

Copyright law includes certain limitations and exceptions. 

• Certain activities are explicitly permitted by copyright law.
• Other activities may be permissible if they meet guidelines established by copyright law. 

In the United States, copyright law establishes guidelines for fair use, rather than outlining specific permissible activities.

Under certain circumstances, even copyrighted works can be reused. 

Copyright law includes certain limitations and exceptions. 

• Certain activities are explicitly permitted by copyright law.
• Other activities may be permissible if they meet guidelines established by copyright law. 

In the United States, copyright law establishes flexible guidelines for fair use, rather than outlining specific permissible activities. When fair use is challenged, U.S. courts use four factors to determine if the use in question meets standards for copyright exceptions.

The Four Factors of Fair Use:

• Purpose and character of the use
• Nature of the copyrighted work
• Amount and substantiality of the portion used
• Potential market effect