What Distinguishes Fair Use from Copyright Infringement?
Most authors are concerned about the fine line between fair use and copyright infringement. The doctrine was judiciously developed to balance the public’s need for information against the incentive for authors to create and publish their works. Thus, it is understandable that authors take a more restrictive view of what is fair use and users of copyright materials take a more expansive view.5 In the case of criticism and comment, parody and satire, scholarship and research, news reporting and education, the copyright law provides for fair use without fear of copyright infringement. Authors should take care to not quote sources out of context, thereby changing the meaning of the original text. Always give appropriate credit to the original source. One of the most important rules to remember about fair use and copyright infringement is that proper referencing or attribution does not protect you from copyright infringement if you violate the fair use doctrine. How does Copyright Apply to
