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Copyright infringement vs fair use: where the line sits

Not every reuse of someone's work is piracy. Reporting legitimate commentary wastes reviewer time and damages your reputation score, so the distinction is worth understanding.

Copyright infringement vs fair use: where the line sits

What fair use generally covers

Criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching and parody are the classic categories. The use is usually transformative: it adds something rather than substituting for the original.

The questions courts ask

The purpose of the use, the nature of the work, how much was taken, and the effect on the market for the original. That last one carries a lot of weight.

Where it clearly is not fair use

A full film re-uploaded with a commentary track over it, a course copied wholesale, or an album posted in full are substitutes for the original, regardless of any added intro.

A simple test before you report

Ask whether someone could consume the whole work through this link instead of buying it. If yes, report it. If it is a short clip used to make a point, leave it alone.

Spotted a pirated link?

Report it in under a minute and earn reputation when it gets removed.

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