Day 28: Fair Use Laws and My Topic

How do Fair Use Laws affect my topic? If I make a parody of someone's Book of Day, Fair Use Laws would protect me from using his/her work. If I copy a couple pages of someone's Book of Days as illustration for the class, Fair Use Laws would protect me because I'd be using it as an educational tool. If I review the book on Morning Announcements and quote several passages from it, I would be protected by law.

If I quoted the book, or copied images from it, to use in my own paper or book of days I would be guilty of plagiarism.

There are TWO instances where Fair Use Laws would have no effect on my use of a book of days:

1 -- if it is already in the public domain, and therefore free for anyone to use

2 -- if I had purchased the rights to use it from the owner

Public domain (free) or Purchased -- these are the only two ways I can use someone's else work and not be sued or come under Fair Use Laws.