Copyright

Welcome to Fair Use Week, celebrated in February each year! This week, we celebrate the important role fair use plays in giving us a breathing space in Copyright Law. Fair use allows us to use copyrighted works without permission in situations such as commentary, criticism, research, and teaching. Fair usemakes it possible to quote, remix, make fun of, transform, and build on other people's copyrighted work. The flexible nature of the fair use doctrine has permitted copyright to adapt to new technologies and changes. Fair use is a right - not an exception or a defense.The Supreme Court has regularly referred to fair use as a "safeguard" of the First Amendment, allowing copyright law to be compatible with the First Amendment.

While we celebrate Fair Use Week this week, every week is fair use week. Indeed, fair use is employed on a daily basis by students, faculty, librarians, journalists, and all users of copyrighted material. Fair Use Week is a time to promote and discuss the opportunities presented by fair use, celebrate successful fair use stories, and explain the doctrine.