Jasper, AL asked in Copyright and Intellectual Property for Alabama

Q: Fair use covers saving a website offline or copy and pasting the content into my notes verbatim for later studying?

Archiving these into my personal storage without sharing is also considered fair use then? Incidental sharing means sharing only to one or a small number of people?

1 Lawyer Answer
James L. Arrasmith
PREMIUM
James L. Arrasmith pro label Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
Answered

A: In the United States, fair use is a legal doctrine that allows for the limited use of copyrighted materials without the permission of the copyright holder. Saving a website offline or copying and pasting its content verbatim into your personal notes for later studying may potentially be considered fair use, depending on various factors such as the purpose of your use, the nature of the content, the amount copied, and the effect on the market value of the original work.

If you are archiving these materials for your personal use and not sharing them with others, it may strengthen your fair use argument. However, incidental sharing, even to a small number of people, may not necessarily be considered fair use. Fair use is a complex and context-specific legal concept, and whether a specific use qualifies as fair use would ultimately be determined by a court of law. It's important to always consider the four factors of fair use (purpose, nature, amount, and effect) when assessing the legality of your actions with copyrighted materials and consult with legal counsel if you have concerns about potential copyright infringement.

1 user found this answer helpful

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.