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Ask the Experts: Demystifying Fair Use

Whether you are a blogger, a photographer or a filmmaker, it is not always clear where your freedom to use content publicly might be legally questioned. When it comes to using copyrighted material, you have more rights than you think.

"Fair use is the right, in some circumstances, to quote copyrighted material without asking permission or paying for it. It is a crucial feature of copyright law and what keeps copyright from being censorship. You can invoke fair use when the value to the public of what you are saying outweighs the cost to the private owner of the copyright," according to the Center for Social Media.

Getting a grasp on the breadth of fair use can seem daunting. That is why OneWorld partnered with the Center for Social Media at American University to co-host an online dialogue. This dialogue is a way to break down a seemingly confusing concept into digestable pieces that contextualize the issue for all content creators.

The questions came from media makers and content creators from across the globe and the answers came from Patricia Aufderheide, Director of the Center for Social Media, and Maura Ugarte, Graduate Associate at the Center.

Get a grasp on Fair Use in one click, visit: http://us.oneworld.net/section/us/asktheexperts/fairuse