17 U.S.C. § 107

17 U.S.C. § 107 outlines the principle of "fair use" in copyright law. It allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for specific purposes, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. When determining fair use, courts consider factors like the purpose of use (commercial vs. educational), the amount of the original work used, the impact on the market for the original work, and whether the use transforms the original content. Fair use aims to balance the rights of creators with the public's interest in accessing information.