The Real Israelites

The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents Congress from making laws respecting an establishment of religion; prohibiting the free exercise of religion; or abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the freedom of assembly, or the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights. In the original draft of the Bill of Rights, what is now the First Amendment occupied third place. The first two articles were not ratified by the states, so the article on disestablishment and free speech ended up being first.[1][2]

Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act defines “fair use,” which allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes like criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. It is a legal doctrine that permits unlicensed use in certain circumstances, promoting freedom of expression. Fair use is determined by balancing four factors: the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount and substantiality of the portion used, and the effect on the market.