Online Life
Fair Use
Can you use someone else’s video, photo, or song without asking? In some cases — yes. This short video breaks down the four rules of Fair Use, helping you understand when it’s okay to use copyrighted content and when it’s not.
What's About
Imagine creating a song, only to find it used in someone’s ad without your permission. That’s what copyright protects — your ownership of original work. But what if someone wants to use a tiny piece of your song for a classroom, a review, or a parody?
That’s where Fair Use comes in.
This video explains how U.S. copyright law provides a gray area — called Fair Use — where certain uses of copyrighted material are legal even without permission. But it’s not automatic. You’ll learn about four major factors courts consider when deciding if a use is truly fair:
Purpose – Is it educational or commercial?
Nature – Is the original work factual or creative?
Amount – How much is used and how important is that part?
Effect on the Market – Does it hurt the copyright owner's income?
Plus, it covers Transformative Use — when you remix or repurpose content in new, unexpected ways like parody or commentary.
In short: Fair Use helps balance creativity with protection — but it takes judgment and care.
That’s where Fair Use comes in.
This video explains how U.S. copyright law provides a gray area — called Fair Use — where certain uses of copyrighted material are legal even without permission. But it’s not automatic. You’ll learn about four major factors courts consider when deciding if a use is truly fair:
Purpose – Is it educational or commercial?
Nature – Is the original work factual or creative?
Amount – How much is used and how important is that part?
Effect on the Market – Does it hurt the copyright owner's income?
Plus, it covers Transformative Use — when you remix or repurpose content in new, unexpected ways like parody or commentary.
In short: Fair Use helps balance creativity with protection — but it takes judgment and care.
What it Matters
Whether you’re a student creating a school project, a content creator remixing a video, or a teacher sharing media in class — you need to know when it’s legally okay to use someone else’s work.
Understanding Fair Use empowers you to:
- Avoid copyright infringement.
- Respect original creators.
- Use media responsibly in educational or transformative ways.
- By learning to evaluate content with the Fair Use lens, you can stay creative and stay legal.
Understanding Fair Use empowers you to:
- Avoid copyright infringement.
- Respect original creators.
- Use media responsibly in educational or transformative ways.
- By learning to evaluate content with the Fair Use lens, you can stay creative and stay legal.
Standards Aligned
- ISTE Standard: Digital Citizen, Indicator 2c
- ACRL Info Literacy Frame: Information Has Value
Part o the course: Media Online
Understand the platforms, licenses, and communities shaping the future of media — from podcasts and Mastodon to public domain and fair use.
View course