English Composition

If you are using content that you did not write or create - images, music, videos - chances are good it is copyright protected.

Copyright is a protection given to authors of "creative works" like images, music, movies and books. The unauthorized use of copyrighted material is considered infringement of copyright law and is illegal.

Fair use is an exception to copyright law that allows copyright-protected works to be used in certain circumstances without permission from the copyright holder. If you intend to use a copyrighted article, book, image or video, you will want your use to fall within fair use guidelines.

Before using a copyrighted work, begin to examine your circumstance by asking yourself questions like:

• What is the purpose of my use?
• Is the work I want to use creative or factual? Published or unpublished?
• How much of the work will I use? Does the portion I want to use make up the "soul" of the work?
• Might my use affect the market for the original work?

If you intend to use images and other digital content in a class assignment or project and want to learn more about properly crediting authors and creators and following fair use guidelines, check out the resources below.