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3/28: Israel adopts US-style ?fair use? Jonathan Band, oft-time consultant for the American Library Association, wrote a short editorial???????? ????? ???????? in the Jerusalem Post, lauding Israel’s recent adoption of a ... [more]

2/12: Rowling sues over encyclopedia J.K. Rowling is suing over publication of a Harry Potter encyclopedia. The NYT info loan message payday postinternet payday loanapplication loan online paydaybad credit faxless ... [more]

2/05: Online Service Providers and Takedown Notices We have just completed a new report on online service providers (Intellectual Property and Free Speech in the Online World). We spoke with representatives of ... [more]

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Fair Use Blog

Highlighted Resources

Fair Use Reference Guide 1.0
  » Table of Contents
  » Download the PDF

  » Copyright 101
  » Fair Use
  » Cease and Desist 101
  » DMCA § 512 Takedowns

Will Fair Use Survive?

Intellectual Property and Free Speech in the Online World (a report about online service providers and takedown notices)

Fair Use Reference Guide: Detailed Table of Contents

Introduction

Free Expression, Fair Use & Other Rights: An orientation to the free expression principles in copyright and trademark law.

Basic Legal Guides

Copyright 101
- » The "Exclusive Rights" Authorized by Copyright
- » Copyright Infringement: What can happen when someone is sued for copyright infringement
- » Copyrightable Subject Matter: What Can, and Can't, Be Copyrighted
- » How Long Copyright Lasts, and What Is the Public Domain
- » Fair Use of Copyrighted Works
- » The First Sale Doctrine: Consumers' Rights Over Copies They Buy
- » Copyright Holders, Licensing & Permissions

Trademark 101
- » Trademark & Related Claims
- » What Is a Trademark: "Distinctiveness" & "Genericness" (coming soon)
- » Fair Use & Free Expression Defenses in Trademark Law
- » What can happen when someone is sued for trademark infringement? (coming soon)

A Directory of Legal Guides for Various Kinds of Creators: Links to topic-specific guides for bloggers, parodists, scholars, and others.

Evaluating Legal Correspondence

This site does not provide legal advice, and does not substitute for finding an attorney who will evaluate the facts of a particular situation and give advice tailored to those facts. However, these individual guides will help people evaluate their legal needs, and provide information about finding legal counsel.

Cease and Desist 101: General guide to assessing and responding to a cease and desist letter ...
Responding to a DMCA § 512 Takedown Notice a guide to understanding & responding to DMCA Section 512 takedown notices
Tools & Legal Processes to Protect Speech
- See DMCA § 512 Counternotice
Directory of Legal Assistance
Contribute to the Chilling Effects Clearinghouse

References & Indexes

Glossary & Index of Legal Terms: Explanations of the legal process, common legal terms and concepts, and key copyright, trademark, and speech concepts.
References

ALERT:
This website provides legal information; it does not provide legal advice.
Legal advice is tailored to the facts of your particular situation.
If you need legal advice, please look in the directory to find an attorney.

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