Arts & Culture
The Doctrine of Fair Use in Copyright Law
Quick fact
Fair use is a legal exception that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission—it's why teachers can show clips in class, critics can quote books, and comedians can parody songs. The concept first became written law in the U.S. in 1976, but it has roots in earlier judge-made law.
Why this is interesting
Imagine you need to quote a few lines from a bestseller in a book review—would that be stealing? The answer might surprise you, thanks to a legal doctrine called fair use.