the Fair Use
Network

INFORMATION & RESOURCES FOR FREE EXPRESSION


 

Highlighted Resources

Fair Use Reference Guide 1.0
  » Table of Contents
  » Download the PDF

  » Copyright 101
  » Fair Use
  » Cease and Desist 101
  » DMCA § 512 Takedowns

Will Fair Use Survive?

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Why the Fair Use Network?

How much can you borrow, quote or copy from someone else's work? What happens if you get a "cease and desist" letter from a copyright owner? These and many other questions make "intellectual property," or "IP," law, a mass of confusion for artists, scholars, journalists, bloggers, and everyone else who contributes to culture and political debate.

The Fair Use Network was created because of the many questions that artists, writers, and others have about "IP" issues. Whether you are trying to understand your own copyright or trademark rights, or are a "user" of materials created by others, the information here will help you understand the system — and especially its free-expression safeguards.

If you have received a "cease and desist" letter from a copyright or trademark owner, or a notice from your Internet service provider about a "takedown" letter, you'll also find useful information on this site.

 

The Fair Use Reference Guide

Introduction

  • Free Expression, Fair Use & Other Rights: An orientation to the free expression principles in copyright and trademark law. When can a creator or critic borrow or copy from another work, and how much can they take? When is it permissible to use someone else's trademark?

Basic Legal Guides

Evaluating & Responding to Legal Correspondence

References & Indexes

 
 
 
 


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