Fair Use

Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright law provides for the use of copyrighted materials under certain circumstances defined as “fair use.”  The law lists four “factors” to use to help determine if a particular use can be considered fair use under the law. 

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.

• Guidelines for Multiple Copying for Classroom Use from the University of Iowa
• Checklist for Fair Use from Indiana University/Purdue University
• Crash Course in Copyright from the University of Texas
• Copyright Information and Education from the University of Minnesota