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  • Writer's Digest

    WD 101

    Apr 12, 2021 5 minutes
    BY AMY COOK

    Fair Use

    Sharpen your pencils for a pop quiz: Which of these qualifies as a “fair use” of another’s work?

    A. When I use part of an old work that is in the public domain. (Nope. If something is in the public domain, it is no longer—or never was—protected by copyright and you are free to use it.)

    B. When there isn’t a copyright line or symbol, it’s fair game. (Nope. If you don’t see copyright symbol, it is still protected by copyright.)

    C. I used fewer than 300 words of another’s work. (Nope. There isn’t a certain word count or percentage for fair use—a common misperception.)

    “Fair use” is when it’s OK to use a portion of someone else’s copyrighted work without permission

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