Fair Use Guidelines

Despite the broad reach of the Copyright Act, there are certain circumstances under which it is permissible to reproduce or display copyrighted works without the permission of the copyright owner. These circumstances are known as "fair use" standards. The fair use standards, embodied in section 107 of the Copyright Act, are:

• The purpose and the character of the use, including whether it is for commercial or non-profit educational purposes
• The nature or type of the copyrighted material (i.e., periodical, film, book, etc.)
• The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the whole
• The effect of the use on the potential market for or value of the copy-righted material