LibGuides: Copyright: Fair Use

Using Copyrighted Materials without Obtaining Permission:

Fair use basically permits that certain uses of copyright-protected works do not require permission from the copyright holder. Four factors are used to determine if a use is fair:

•The purpose of the use (e.g.. commercial vs. educational)

•The nature of the copyrighted work

•The amount of the material used (the greater the amount copied, the less likely it is fair use)

•The effect of use on the potential market for or value of the work

Faculty may make limited use of another author's work without asking permission under the "fair use" educational provision of copyright law. However, since copyright can be a grey area, faculty are encouraged to use the Fair Use Evaluator to better determine "fair use" for different situations.

Specific guidelines for legally using various medium can be located at Fair Use Guidelines for Teachers

Fair Use Decision Tree

Tuft's Fair Use Decision Tree