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.
Tech companies such as Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Nvidia have used these datasets to develop generative video tools that can churn out custom clips, raising unresolved legal questions about copyright and fair use. Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025 But fair use doctrine is a defense, not a blanket right, and whether mass training of AI models qualifies is now being tested in court. Roomy Khan, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 His decision was the first major decision that weighed the fair use question in generative AI systems. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025 The settlement, which U.S. Senior District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco will consider approving next week, is in a case that involved the first substantive decision on how fair use applies to generative AI systems. Chloe Veltman, NPR, 5 Sep. 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 18 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

fair use

see use sense 2

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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