Computer Ethics for Educators

 
Amount

Rationale:  Amount is both quantitatively and qualitatively measured.  No exact measures of allowable quantity exist in the law.  Quantity must be evaluated relative to the length of the entire original and the amount needed to serve a proper objective.  One court has ruled that a journal article alone is an entire work; any copying of an entire work usually weighs heavily against fair use.  Pictures generate serious controversies, because a user nearly always wants the full image or the full "amount."  Motion pictures are also problematic because even short clips may borrow the most extraordinary or creative elements.  One may also reproduce only a small portion of any work but still take "the heart of the work."  The "substantiality" concept is a qualitative measure that may weigh against fair use.
 

Copyright & Fair Use