snagit screen capture copywrite vilation

Here are several tips to help you determine if your screenshot is legal. Posting screenshots under fair use is a relatively simple process. However, if the law determines your screenshot to be outside of fair use, you may face legal ramifications. If screenshots of these materials are transformative, or if they depict a small part of an overall work, and don’t act as a substitute for the original, there’s a good chance your screenshot is legal. Thus, the screenshot qualifies as a fair use image.įair use applies to screenshots of movies and intellectual property in the same way. They fall under the ‘transformative use’ category.įor example, taking a screenshot of an app to discuss interface design is transformative because educating others about design principles wasn’t the app’s original intention. How Does Fair Use Apply to Screenshots?Īre screenshots copyrighted? In most instances, no.įair use is extremely favorable to most that use and create screenshots. However, if they share an unpublished work or try to commercialize copyrighted material, the law may not consider it Fair Use. They are using the copyrighted material for educational purposes. Teaching, reporting, commenting, and researching are all activities that often qualify as fair use.įor instance, if teachers want to share portions of a book, they don’t have to obtain permission. The Copyright Act of 1976 outlines the statutory framework for determining and identifying Fair Use and when one can use copyrighted material without permission. It allows the use of copyrighted material without permission or license in certain situations. What Is Fair Use?įair use is a legal principle that supports freedom of expression. This guide will help creators avoid and mitigate problems associated with fair use by offering useful information and advice about how to post and share screenshots. However, your compliance will ultimately help you reach a wider audience and avoid legal repercussions. Of course, complying with them may add a few extra steps to the creation process.

Sure, the internet may be unregulated, but creators still have to follow certain rules. While forwarding and sharing screenshots can improve communication and enhance engagement, doing so may pose problems for creators under Fair Use.

In fact, sharing screenshots is so common that you probably receive or view dozens of them each day without even realizing it. Practically every online content creator has reposted a screenshot before, whether it was a texting conversation, a popular meme, or a funny tweet.

Snagit screen capture copywrite vilation