Copyright Law & Fair Use: Fair Use

Fair use is determined by the following:

• Purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is for commercial or nonprofit educational purposes.
• Purpose and nature of the copyrighted work.
• The amount of the work used in relationship to the work as a whole.
• The effect of the use on the market for the work or value of the work.

For more information regarding fair use and application of these factors, see the U.S. Copyright Office’s More Information on Fair Use page. The Copyright Office has also published a circular on the Reproduction of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians, which may be helpful for fair use analysis.