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Copyright and Intellectual Property

This guide will direct you to resources explaining principles of U.S. copyright law and how it functions in practice in academic institutions.

What is Fair Use?

Fair use (section 107 of U.S. copyright law) provides parameters for the legal use of copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder. While only a court can determine if a use is "fair" (and only if a case is litigated), four factors are considered in determining whether one may use copyrighted materials without consent from the copyright holder: purpose, nature, amount, and effect.

Learn more about fair use on copyright.gov.

Fair Use Resources

Fair Use Evaluator

This tool helps determine the "fairness" of a use under U.S. copyright law by applying the four factors: purpose, nature, amount, and effect.

Copyright & Fair Use (Stanford University Libraries)

This site puts its emphasis on copyright issues that affect the education and library community, including examples of fair use and policies.