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Art History Research at Yale: Copyright and Fair Use

Using Copyrighted Works

Recommended Books

Art, Design, Copyright and Fair Use

Fair Use

Artworks and images are protected by copyright law, but Fair Use (section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act) provides for certain cases where permission from the rights holder is not required. Detailed information about fair use and its four determining factors are available in the Using Copyrighted Works guide. Here are some resources to help you better understand it in the context of the visual arts:

Creative Commons

Many images are made available via Creative Commons licenses, with various levels of use and remix restrictions. Detailed information about Creative Commons is available in the Using Copyrighted Works guide. These quick links cover the basics:

Public Domain

This category refers to sources that are openly available for reuse. Detailed information about public domain is available in the Using Copyrighted Works guide. These quick links provide more context:

General Tools and Resources