Chapter 13Legal & Rights

Is my YouTube video fair use?

Maybe. Fair use is a defense, not a permission — you argue it after being sued. Four factors: purpose (commentary, education = better), nature of original, amount used, effect on market. Reaction videos and 'transformative' commentary have the strongest case.

Follow-up questions

How much can I safely use?

There's no magic seconds or percent. Less is safer; transformative purpose matters more than length.

What about music covers?

You need a mechanical license (easy for cover audio via Songfile) plus sync license for video (usually not granted for random uploads).

People also search

  • fair use youtube
  • copyright strike
  • music license explained