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.
His decision was the first major decision that weighed the fair use question in generative AI systems. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 27 Aug. 2025 Alsup’s reasoning on fair use was followed by another ruling in favor of AI companies in a lawsuit from another group of authors, including Sarah Silverman, against Meta. Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2025 Using brands without permission rarely escalates to a lawsuit due to fair use protections, which is why networks like HBO seem unconcerned about brand backlash. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 15 Aug. 2025 And in July, Trump gave his verdict, which is that uploading is always fair use, and this might have an impact on how the Supreme Court rules on this issue. Schuyler Moore, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 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 9 Sep. 2025.

Legal Definition

fair use

see use sense 2

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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