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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That could weigh against the fair use argument, as a judge opined in a recent ruling that evidence of market dilution could tip an AI copyright case in favor of plaintiffs. ArsTechnica, 2 July 2025 The systems’ owners invariably assert fair use as a defense. Dale Nelson, Forbes.com, 2 July 2025 As of June, Asos has begun enforcing its fair use policy by permanently deleting accounts of customers who return items at a rate significantly higher than average. Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 1 July 2025 According to this document on Bright Data’s website, the company’s fair use policy limits each IP to 100 gigabytes of data each month. Kim Key, PC Magazine, 30 June 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Fair use.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fair%20use. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

Legal Definition

fair use

see use sense 2

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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