What is FairUse Wizard?
FairUse Wizard is a free online service created by American University's Center for Media & Social Impact to help individuals, educators, and organizations evaluate whether their uses of copyrighted materials are likely to qualify as fair uses under U.S. copyright law.
The tool asks users a series of questions about their intended use of copyrighted materials - such as the purpose of the use, nature of the copyrighted work, amount to be used, and potential market effect. Based on the responses, FairUse Wizard analyzes the fair use factors set forth in the Copyright Act and provides a customized report explaining whether the described use is likely to be considered fair use.
FairUse Wizard incorporates the expertise of a nationwide panel of copyright scholars who helped design the questionnaire and algorithms behind the tool. It arms users with a strong, evidence-based fair use rationale customized to their specific situation.
The tool is intended for uses in non-commercial or educational contexts. The reports carry a Creative Commons license allowing them to be shared widely. FairUse Wizard has helped countless educators, students, filmmakers, and others justify their transformative uses of copyrighted materials.