LibGuides: Copyright and Fair Use: Fair Use & Exceptions

Fair Use

In a nut shell, fair use grants a privilege to non-creators to use copyrighted works without permission. In order for a “use” to be “fair” there are four factors which need to be considered; for our purposes, in simplest terms the four factors are as follows:

Is the use for a non-profit, educational purpose?
What is the nature of the copyrighted work?
What portion of the copyrighted work are you using?
Will your use of the work impact the commercial market for the work?

You will find more detailed information about each of these factors at the link below.

What is Fair Use?
Columbia University Libraries/Information Services Copyright Advisory Office lists and explains the four factors needed to determine fair use.

Evaluation Tools

Fair Use Evaluator
American Library Association's Fair Use Evaluator tool can be used to evaluate and learn more about "fairness" of a use under the U. S. Copyright Code.
Exceptions for Instructors in U. S. Copyright Law
The tool from the American Library Association helps instructors to determine if their use of a copyrighted work falls under an instructional exception.
University System of Georgia Fair Use Guide
A site created by the University System of Georgia to explain fair use for educators.
University System of Georgia Fair Use Checklist
A useful PDF for evaluating fair use that instructors can keep in their files, should there ever be a question regarding the use of a copyrighted resource.

ARL's Code of Best Practices for Fair Use
The Association of Research Libraries has created a clear and easy-to-use statement of fair and reasonable approaches to fair use; this document was developed by and for librarians who support academic inquiry and higher education. The Code was developed in partnership with the Center for Social Media and the Washington College of Law at American University.

Fair Use Explained

Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University created the video below to illustrate the concept of Fair Use, through the ironic manipulation of Disney film clips.

A Fair(y) Use Tale Transcript

A Fair(y) Use Tale - Transcript
This PDF is a transcript of Professor Faden's film, provided by Virginia's Community College system.

Disclamier

This information is provided by the library to assist you in making informed decisions about copyright and fair use. It is intended as a general guideline and an interpretation of current copyright issues. It is not intended, and should not be construed as, legal advice.