Registering and Protecting your Copyrighted Works: Fair Use

The Fair Use Doctrine is a case law doctrine which says that it is not copyright infringement if the user is using the material for a "fair use". The only way to get an absolute answer as to whether a use is fair is to have it resolved in court. Judges use the following four factors to determine fair use:

• the purpose and character of your use
• the nature of the copyrighted work
• the amount and substantiality of the portion taken, and
• the effect of the use upon the potential market.