Research Help: Getting Started

COVID & Copyright

In honor of Fair Use Week, we are taking a look at how the pandemic has affected how we approach copyright:

• The quick shift to virtual learning required new interpretations of fair use.
• When print materials suddenly became inaccessible last March, the obvious answer of scanning readings and posting them online faced the barrier of copyright.
• Normally, extensive sharing in this manner is NOT considered to be fair use and is only acceptable in limited amounts.
• The question became, is the pandemic enough of a factor to justify scanning and sharing large portions of books?
• The answer arrived at by copyright experts was surprisingly, YES!
• Because fair use is a balancing act of weighing each of four factors separately, any one factor can tip the balance.
• The purpose of the use (promoting the health and safety of literally everyone) was considered to be an overwhelming factor in favor of fair use.

Check out our Fair Use Guide!

Read what the experts had to say: Public Statement of Library Copyright Specialists: Fair Use & Emergency Remote Teaching & Research