The Fair Use Copyright Law allows people to use portions of copyrighted material for the purpose of criticism or commentary. The hard part for many people is understanding what is allowed under fair use copyright law and what is not. Anyone who writes or publishes should brush up on what is allowed and what is not allowed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Using another person's words to make news, to use as commentary or criticism, or to use for research, scholarship, or educational uses that are non-profit are generally considered fair use. In these cases, fair use copyright law allows one person or author to use the work of another person or author without asking permission to do so. In situations that fall outside of these specifications you are probably infringing someone's copyright if you use their work, especially if you are using another person's work for financial or commercial gain. When trying to see if you can use another's words, you should keep a few things in mind. The answers to the following questions will help you evaluate whether you are infringing a copyright. You may also be interested in Free Tool to Quickly Fix Plagiarism in One Click First of all, are you transforming someone else's work or are you copying it? Secondly, will you get financial gains from your work that would compete with the original copyright holder? Third, do you have the author's permission to cite his work? Just because you list the author and give them credit doesn't protect you from infringing someone's copyright. Fourth, how much of the original author's work are you using? If you use a substantial amount of someone else's work, you are probably directly infringing their copyright. Many publishing houses have established rules about how much material they will allow to be cited in other sources. Some of these ranges begin with 100 words or less. However, there are really no standards to follow, so be careful. You can't assume that keeping your copy under 50 words will allow you to fly under the radar, especially if the original piece is around 125 words! Finally, what part of someone else's work are you using? If it's the crux of the matter and the most important part of the book, you're probably directly infringing the owner's copyright. With a little common sense it is not difficult to decide if you are infringing someone's copyright. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay People who are truly interested in complying with copyright law guidelines on fair use usually do a good job of doing so. Many people push copyright law to the limit on fair use, while others blatantly overstep it without thinking twice about the repercussions. When these people are taken to court to answer for their wandering disregard for another's property and copyright, they usually regret it. I'm sorry we got caught! It is very important that people who take advantage of fair use copyright law are held accountable for their actions. Without accountability, many more people would follow in their footsteps and use the works of others as their own. Works Cited by the American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).Copyright.gov. (n.d.). Correct use. https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.htmlCreative Commons. (n.d.). On licensing. Digital media bill. (2014). Usage (2020)..