Fair Use for Research and Teaching

Fair use is an exception in the copyright clause that allows for limited reproduction and other uses (such as criticism, commentary, research, parody, teaching, scholarship, etc.). Fair use is determined on a case by case basis and can only be officially decided in a court of law.

The four factors to consider as to whether the use of copyrighted material is considered fair use are:

1. Purpose and character of the use (**not all educational uses are fair use**)
2. Nature of the copyrighted work (factual or creative/artistic)
3. Amount of the copyrighted work (**there are no official, legal, guidelines that detail specific amounts**)
4. Market effect or value of the copyrighted work. Each of these four factors are weighed collectively to determine whether a use is permissible through fair use; no one factor is more significant than the others.

For more information about the four factors and how they apply to your situation please download and complete the FAIR USE CHECKLIST.

If you have questions please contact Chris Younkin, Scholarly Communications Librarian through email at chrisyounkin@suu.edu or by phone (435) 865-8054.