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UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Copyright

Fair Use

Fair use is a legal doctrine that functions as a first amendment safety valve by permitting the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances. Section 107 calls for the consideration of four factors in evaluating whether you can claim fair use.

Fair Use Factors:

  1. Purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
  2. Nature of the copyrighted work
  3. Amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
  4. Effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work

These factors are weighted together in light of the purpose of copyright. Refer to the following checklist to determine if a specific example qualifies for fair use.

Creative Commons

The Creative Commons is a global nonprofit organization that enables sharing and reuse of creativity and knowledge, most notably by providing copyright licenses to authors who want to freely share their work. Authors can share their work by selecting a Creative Commons license. Users can search for Creative Commons texts, images, music and videos at CC Search.