Copyright exceptions are laws that allow you to reuse someone else's copyrighted material without getting their permission, but only in certain circumstances.

In the US, the most well-known copyright exception is fair use. In deciding whether a use is fair, courts look at four factors: the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and significance of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work. copyright in its entirety, and the effect of the use on the potential market or value of the copyrighted work. Some activities that may qualify as fair use include criticism, comments, and news reporting. Fair use is intended to promote freedom of expression.

In some civil law countries, including many in the EU, more limited exceptions are recognized where reuse must fall into specific categories, rather than having factors weighing. The categories set out in Article 17 of the EU Digital Single Market copyright directive are quote, criticism, review, caricature, parody and pastiche. These words have their usual meaning in everyday language, but are also enacted as laws by each member state and interpreted by both national courts and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). It is also important to consider the context of use and the purpose of such copyright exceptions, one of which is to balance the freedom of expression of creators and the copyright of right holders.

In some countries, such as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, there is a hybrid concept of fair treatment. Courts weigh similar factors to fair use, but reuses must fall within specific categories. These categories include citation (general citation and citation for purposes of criticism, review, or news reporting), caricature, parody, and pastiche.

Most countries in the world have signed an international treaty known as the Berne Convention, which allows reuse in specific categories, including for quotes and news reporting.

While there are some similarities regarding copyright exceptions around the world, there are still considerable differences between the laws of each country. There is no one-size-fits-all answer as to whether a reuse falls within copyright exceptions, and courts decide the applicability of copyright exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

​

At LeeBoom, our mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world. Copyright exceptions play a key role in furthering this mission by supporting the free flow of ideas and creativity. Therefore, we ask rights holders to consider the applicability of copyright exceptions before submitting copyright takedown requests. We believe this would strike a balance between respecting the copyright of rights holders and the freedom of expression of creators, which may be protected by exceptions to copyright.

Plus, we build products that allow creators to access, create, and share information like never before. Now, with Groups, you can create spaces where you can share someone else's likes and content, as long as they've given you permission to do so. We also continue to develop and expand LeeBoom Books, which enables creators in the LeeBoom Partner Program to securely share their content and stories.