What Is Fair Use?

What is legally classified as Fair Use? It’s a question that is puzzling to many. With the number of content producers increasing as a result of the Internet, it is even more important that the issue of Fair Use is understood.

To clarify, WebProNews spoke with Pat Aufderheide, the Executive Director for the Center of Social Media at American University, and Attorney Michael Donaldson of Donaldson & Callif. According to Aufderheide, Fair Use is a part of copyright law that gives people the right to use other people’s copyrighted material without licensing it, paying for it, or even asking permission for it. However, there are circumstances in which Fair Use is misused.

As Donaldson explains, Fair Use is rooted in the First Amendment. He says, “If you keep in mind the First Amendment origins of Fair Use, you’ll have a good starting point.”

If your argument of Fair Use is tested in court, judges will ask if material was used in a way that was different from the original