What is Fair Use?
Sometimes a copyrighted work can be used in a limited manner under the principle of fair use.
Copyright law contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered “fair,” such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
The four factors used in determining fair use are:
- the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
- the nature of the copyrighted work
- amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
- the effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work
The Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society has created a video using clips from Disney movies to illustrate fair use. Be sure to pay attention to the "FBI warning" at the beginning!
