fair use

noun

: a legal doctrine that portions of copyrighted materials may be used without permission of the copyright owner provided the use is fair and reasonable, does not substantially impair the value of the materials, and does not curtail the profits reasonably expected by the owner

Examples of fair use in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The companies have fought back, arguing that the AI songs are fair use. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024 According to the Foundation, the authorization fell under the purview of fair use. Patricia Failing, ARTnews.com, 21 Oct. 2024 Attorneys for Trump have tried to beat back the suit by calling into question the estate's ownership of the copyright and by also raising a fair use argument. Alana Wise, NPR, 17 Sep. 2024 The defendants could also argue fair use, which means lawful copying of others’ works in certain circumstances. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 16 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fair use 

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fair use was in 1847

Dictionary Entries Near fair use

Cite this Entry

“Fair use.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fair%20use. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Legal Definition

fair use

see use sense 2

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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