What are the 5 reasons you can use copyrighted work that is fair use?

Asked by: Daisy Runte  |  Last update: February 6, 2026
Score: 4.7/5 (26 votes)

You can use copyrighted work under fair use for specific purposes like criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including classroom use), scholarship, and research, as outlined in the Copyright Act, though these examples aren't automatic approvals; you must weigh them against the four statutory factors (purpose/character, nature of the work, amount used, market effect).

What are the 5 reasons you can use copyrighted work that are fair use?

Section 107 of the Copyright Act provides the statutory framework for determining whether something is a fair use and identifies certain types of uses—such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research—as examples of activities that may qualify as fair use.

What are 5 things that can be copyrighted?

Five things that can be copyrighted are literary works (like books/software), musical works, dramatic works, pictorial/graphic/sculptural works (photos, paintings, sculptures), and audiovisual works (movies, videos). Copyright protects original expressions of ideas, not the ideas themselves, covering a wide range of creative content fixed in a tangible form.
 

What are the 4 factors of fair use?

The four factors of fair use in U.S. copyright law are: (1) the purpose and character of the use (e.g., transformative, educational vs. commercial), (2) the nature of the copyrighted work (factual vs. creative), (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used, and (4) the effect of the use on the potential market for the original work, with courts weighing these factors case-by-case. 

What are the five general terms of the fair use rule?

Under the law, it is fair use to reproduce copyrighted materials for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.

Fair Use - Copyright on YouTube

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What qualifies under fair use?

Section 107 of the Copyright Act gives examples of purposes that are favored by fair use: “criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, [and] research.” Use for one of these purposes is not automatically fair, and uses for other purposes can be fair.

When can I use copyrighted material without permission?

Under the fair use doctrine of the U.S. copyright statute, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports.

What are the 4 moral rights of copyright?

There are four moral rights: The right of paternity: the right to be properly identified as the author or performer of a work. The right of integrity: the right not to have a work subjected to derogatory treatment. The right against false attribution: the right not to have a work falsely attributed to you.

What are the four factors of fair use common sense?

Help students connect their ideas to the Four Factors of Fair Use: purpose, nature, amount, and effect. Explain that, as with any creative work that involves fair use, it depends on the situation.

What are the four elements of copyright infringement?

There are four essential elements to a charge of criminal copyright infringement. In order to sustain a conviction under section 506(a), the government must demonstrate: (1) that a valid copyright; (2) was infringed by the defendant; (3) willfully; and (4) for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain.

What are the 5 key elements of copyright?

This overview will introduce you to copyright through five key concepts: Work, Ownership, Infringement, Exceptions, and Balance.

What are the 5 copyright rights?

The five fundamental rights that the bill gives to copyright owners-the exclusive rights of reproduction, adaptation, publication, performance, and display-are stated generally in section 106.

What is the rule of five in copyright?

CONTU Guidelines and the "Rule of Five"

Its provisions include: A library ("user") may request up to five articles from a single periodical per year from issues published within the last five years.

How do I prove fair use?

What is the test for fair use?

  1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether the 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.

What are examples of copyrighted work?

Many types of works are eligible for copyright protection, for example:

  • Audiovisual works, such as TV shows, movies, and online videos.
  • Sound recordings and musical compositions.
  • Written works, such as lectures, articles, books, and musical compositions.
  • Visual works, such as paintings, posters, and advertisements.

What are the factors of fair dealing?

To decide if something qualifies as fair dealing, you need to consider how much is being used, why it's being used, and how it affects the original work. The six criteria to consider are: purpose, character, amount, nature, effect, and alternatives to the dealing.

What are the 4 conditions of fair use?

The four factors of fair use in U.S. copyright law are: (1) the purpose and character of the use (e.g., transformative, educational vs. commercial), (2) the nature of the copyrighted work (factual vs. creative), (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used, and (4) the effect of the use on the potential market for the original work, with courts weighing these factors case-by-case. 

What is fair use for copyright?

Fair Use is a legally permissible use of copyrighted material for specific purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching or scholarship. For more information about fair use, see: http://ogc.harvard.edu/pages/copyright-and-fair-use .

What are the elements to prove copyright infringement?

In order to bring a copyright infringement claim, the plaintiff must prove that they hold the copyright interest through creation, assignment, or license. The plaintiff must also plead that the complaint is of an unlawful copy of the original element of the copyrighted work.

What are the four factors under the copyright Fair Use Act?

The four factors for determining fair use in copyright are: the purpose and character of the use (transformative, educational vs. commercial), the nature of the copyrighted work (factual vs. creative), the amount and substantiality of the portion used, and the effect of the use on the potential market for the original work, with no single factor being decisive, requiring a holistic balancing test. 

What is the golden rule of copyright?

We're all probably familiar with the saying, "If it's not yours, don't touch it." Copyright laws adhere to the same philosophy: the golden rule is to obtain the express permission from the owner, creator, or holder of the copyrighted material. Unless you're the creator of the work, you're not allowed to use it.

What are three things that can be protected by copyright?

What does copyright protect? Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture.

What are five laws of copyright?

The five fundamental rights that the bill gives to copyright owners-the exclusive rights of reproduction, adaptation, publication, performance, and display-are stated generally in section 106.

What are some examples of fair use?

This is the also the factor that lists some common fair uses: comment and criticism, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and parody. This is also the factor that considers if a work is “transformative”, which means if your new creation adds something new.

What is the 3 month rule for copyright?

The "copyright 3 month rule" refers to a key deadline for U.S. copyright registration: you must register your work within three months of its first publication (or before infringement begins) to be eligible to claim statutory damages and attorney's fees in a copyright infringement lawsuit, which can be crucial for remedies beyond just an injunction. Failing to meet this deadline means you generally can only sue for actual damages (harder to prove) if infringement occurs, but registration is still vital for other benefits and to sue at all, notes Donahue Fitzgerald LLP and Cotman IP.