Copyright Policy

Information about Copyright and Fair Use

Fair Use allows copying without getting permission from the copyright holder under certain limited circumstances. However “fair use” is open to interpretation. Below are four factors in determining “fair use” as outlined in the United States Code (USC). The closer you come to meeting these criteria, the more likely it is that you are within the “fair use” limits.

Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use (17 USC Section 107)

“Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include:

1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.”

Selected Copyright Resources on the Internet

• United States Copyright Office Home Page
  Links to U.S. legislation and regulations, international law, and general information.
• Fair Use of Copyrighted Works, A Crucial Element in Educating America
  Pamphlet published by a onsortium of the State University System of New York, the California State University System, and the City University of New York.
• Crash Course in Copyright
  University of Texas.