Per the United States Copyright Office, Copyright.gov, "Copyright is a type of intellectual property that protects original works of authorship as soon as an author fixes the work in a tangible form of expression. In copyright law, there are a lot of different types of works, including paintings, photographs, illustrations, musical compositions, sound recordings, computer programs, books, poems, blog posts, movies, architectural works, plays, and so much more!"

Fair use is a limitation on the rights of the copyright holder that allows others to use portions of a copyrighted work or the whole work without permission from the holder (Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act). It is determined by a balanced application of the four factors set forth in the statute:

1. Purpose of the use

2. Nature of the copyrighted work

3. Amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole

4. Effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Resources

• 17 U.S. Code § 106 - Exclusive rights in copyrighted works - T

  he section of the U.S. Code which defines the rights of the copyright holder.

• 17 U.S. Code § 102 - Subject matter of copyright: In general

  - The U.S. Code which defines what is protected under Copyright Law.

• 17 U.S. Code § 107 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use -

  Definition of Fair Use according to the U.S. Code.

• 17 U.S. Code § 101 - Definitions

  Provides definitions related to U.S. Code 17

• United States Copyright Office: Copyright.gov