Copyright is a form of protection given to the authors or creators of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic and other intellectual works. As the author of the work, you alone have the right to do any of the following or to let others do any of the following:
- make copies of your work;
- distribute copies of your work;
- perform your work publicly (such as for plays, film, dances or music);
- display your work publicly (such as for artwork, or stills from audiovisual works, or any material used on the Internet or television);
- make “derivative works” (including making modifications, adaptations or other new uses of a work, or translating the work to another media).
In general, it is illegal for anyone to do any of the things listed above with a work created by you without your permission, but there are some exceptions and limitations to your rights. One major limitation is the doctrine of “Fair Use.”
Copyright law in the United States is embodied in federal laws enacted by Congress. The current copyright law, the Copyright Act of 1976 (as amended), is codified in Title 17 of the U.S. Code.
from Copyright Kids (http://www.copyrightkids.org/whatcopyframes.htm)Fair Use is an exception to Copyright Law allowing the use of media in a reasonable manner and for educational purposes without needing permission from the copyright owner. Four factors are involved when determining if using another's work fall under Fair Use:
1. The purpose of the use (What are you using it for?)
2. The nature of material (What type of material is it? Video, website, book?)
3. The amount of material being used (How much are you using?)
4. The effect on the market for the work (Are you profiting from using the material?)
