Internet Rights
Fair Use
17 U.S.C. § 107
The 4 factors (plain English)
- Purpose & character: commentary, criticism, education, transformation tends to help.
- Nature of the work: factual is easier than highly creative.
- Amount used: use what you need, not the whole thing.
- Market effect: don’t replace the original’s market.
Best practices
- Add commentary/context. “Just reposting” is weaker than transformation.
- Use clips/quotes/images sparingly and purposefully.
- Attribute sources when possible (even if attribution isn’t a magic shield).
- Keep a record of your intent and edits (drafts can help show transformation).