Research: Copyright and Fair Use

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. Copyright protects the work of fixed creations, like music, pictures, and videos.  All these things are used by students in research and school projects, right? To use these items in your school project, you must follow the rules of fair use, which are: 

Purpose: Using it for research rather than profit or entertainment.

Nature: Not changing the original work too much, keeping it factual.

Amount: Use small portions, sticking to around 10%, rather than whole songs or more than five pictures from one website.

Effect: You will not effect the sale of the original work by using it.

Also, cite your sources to give credit for the things you borrow, and get permission from the copyright holder if you are unsure if your use falls under the fair use rules.