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Fair Use Disclaimer

A fair use disclaimer states that you use copyrighted material for purposes such as commentary, criticism or teaching. Generate one, then check your use against the four factors below.

Free template, not legal advice. Replace every [bracketed] field, make sure it matches what you actually do, and get a lawyer's review for anything high-stakes. How clauses are sourced.

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Only this description, your business name and chosen laws are sent to the AI. Check the draft carefully; it is a starting point, not legal advice.

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Disclaimer

[Bracketed] fields are placeholders · Template, not legal advice

Fair use notice

[Website or app name] may contain copyrighted material that its owner has not specifically authorised us to use. We use this material for [commentary, criticism, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research], and we believe this is a fair use under Section 107 of the US Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 107). All rights to that material remain with its owners. If you own material shown here and believe its use is not fair use, contact [contact email] and we will review it promptly.

Copyright notice

© [Year] [Business name]. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise stated, the text, images, video, audio, code and design of [Website or app name] are owned by [Business name] or used under licence. You may share links and short quotations with attribution, but you may not copy, republish, sell or distribute our content without our prior written permission. To request permission, email [contact email].

Contact

Questions about this disclaimer can be sent to [contact email]. Last updated: [Effective date].

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The four factors (17 U.S.C. § 107)

1. Purpose and character of the use, including whether it is commercial or for nonprofit educational purposes. Courts favour transformative uses that add new expression or meaning.

2. Nature of the copyrighted work. Using factual works is more likely to be fair than using highly creative ones, and using unpublished works is less likely to be fair.

3. Amount and substantiality of the portion used, in relation to the whole. Less is generally better, but even a small part can weigh against fair use if it is the "heart" of the work.

4. Effect of the use on the potential market for or value of the original. A use that substitutes for buying the original weighs heavily against fair use.

The US Copyright Office's Fair Use Index summarises court decisions by category and is the best free place to see how these factors have been applied.

Frequently asked questions

Is "no copyright infringement intended" a valid disclaimer?

It has no legal effect. Intent does not decide infringement, and the phrase can even signal that you knew the material was copyrighted. Describe your purpose instead and make sure your use fits the four factors.

Does fair use exist outside the US?

Fair use is a US doctrine. The UK, Canada, Australia and others have narrower "fair dealing" exceptions for specific purposes such as criticism, review, quotation, news reporting or education. Check the rules where you and your audience are.

Is it really free? Do I need an account?

Yes, and no. Every generator is free with no sign-up, watermark or paywall. Your answers stay in your browser; they are never sent to our server unless you use the optional AI clause writer or policy checker.

Is a generated policy legal advice?

No. PolicyForge produces a starting template from your answers. It cannot know every detail of your business or every law that applies to you. Read the whole document, replace every [bracketed] placeholder, make sure it describes what you actually do, and have a lawyer review it if you handle sensitive data, sell to children, or operate at scale.

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