Tips for assessing fair use in teaching materials

In celebration of Fair Use Week, the University of Chicago Library is sharing tips for assessing fair use and understanding copyright.

Fair Use icon: A scale showing a copyright symbol and mortarboard in balance
© 2008 Michael Brewer & ALA Office of Information Technology Policy, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

In order to determine whether fair use applies to materials being considered for classroom use, instructors should take four factors into consideration:

  1. Purpose of the use: Materials should be used in class only for the purpose of serving the needs of specified educational programs.
  2. Nature of the work: Only those portions of the work relevant to the educational objectives of the course should be used in the classroom.
  3. Amount of the work: The amount of the work used should be related directly to the educational objectives of the course.
  4. Effect of the use on the market for the original: The instructor should consider whether the copying harms the market or sale of the copyrighted material.

Visit our Fair Use guide to learn more, and see how you can take advantage of fair use.