Fair Use Statement
Legal basis for the use of copyrighted material under U.S. copyright law
Fair Use Under U.S. Law
This website operates under the Fair Use Doctrine as codified in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 U.S.C. § 107). Fair use permits the limited use of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright holder for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.
The Fair Use Doctrine recognizes that certain uses of copyrighted material serve the public interest and promote the progress of knowledge. This research report qualifies as fair use under all four statutory factors analyzed below.
17 U.S.C. § 107 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use
"Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright."
Four-Factor Fair Use Analysis
1Purpose and Character of Use
Analysis: This factor examines whether the use is transformative and whether it serves a commercial or nonprofit educational purpose.
✓ Favors Fair Use
- Transformative Purpose: The site compiles, organizes, and contextualizes scattered public information into a comprehensive research report. This transformation adds significant value beyond the original sources.
- Educational and Informational: The primary purpose is to educate the public about matters of legitimate concern, not to substitute for or compete with any original copyrighted work.
- Non-Commercial: The site generates no revenue, displays no advertising, charges no fees, and operates solely for public benefit.
- Criticism and Commentary: The compilation serves critical analysis of public conduct and business practices, a core fair use purpose explicitly recognized by statute.
2Nature of the Copyrighted Work
Analysis: This factor considers whether the original work is factual or creative, and whether it has been published.
✓ Favors Fair Use
- Factual Nature: The vast majority of content consists of factual information from public records, court documents, government databases, and published statements—all of which receive less copyright protection than creative works.
- Published Material: All referenced material has been publicly published or is part of the public record, making fair use more appropriate.
- Public Interest Information: The information relates to business practices, employment relationships, and legal proceedings—matters of significant public concern that warrant broader fair use protection.
3Amount and Substantiality of Portion Used
Analysis: This factor examines how much of the copyrighted work is used and whether the amount is reasonable in relation to the purpose.
✓ Favors Fair Use
- Limited Excerpts: When quoting from any source, only brief excerpts necessary to support factual claims or provide context are used.
- Attribution and Links: All sources are fully attributed with direct links to original materials, allowing readers to access complete context.
- Reasonable Necessity: The amount used is limited to what is reasonably necessary to achieve the educational and informational purpose.
- No Wholesale Copying: The site does not reproduce entire copyrighted works; it references, quotes briefly, and links to sources.
4Effect on the Market
Analysis: This factor considers whether the use harms the market for or value of the copyrighted work.
✓ Favors Fair Use
- No Market Substitution: This research compilation does not substitute for any copyrighted work. It serves an entirely different purpose than the original sources.
- No Commercial Harm: The site generates no revenue and does not compete with any commercial market for the referenced materials.
- Drives Traffic to Sources: By linking to original sources, the site actually drives traffic and attention to the original publishers.
- Public Records Focus: Most content derives from public records and government documents that have no commercial market to harm.
Conclusion
Under a comprehensive four-factor analysis, this website's use of copyrighted material clearly qualifies as fair use under 17 U.S.C. § 107. The site serves transformative educational and critical purposes, uses only limited excerpts of factual material, operates entirely non-commercially, and causes no market harm to any copyrighted work.
The compilation of public information for purposes of criticism, commentary, and public education is precisely the type of use that the Fair Use Doctrine was designed to protect. Courts have consistently recognized that the public interest in access to information about matters of public concern outweighs narrow copyright interests when all four factors favor fair use.
First Amendment Protection: Beyond fair use, this site's compilation of factual information from public sources receives additional protection under the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech and press. The Supreme Court has recognized that factual compilations serving the public interest receive robust constitutional protection.
Additional Legal Protections
Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co.
The Supreme Court established that factual compilations receive copyright protection only for their original selection and arrangement, not for the underlying facts themselves. Facts are not copyrightable. This site's independent compilation of publicly available facts does not infringe any copyright in the original sources.
Public Records Exception
Government documents, court records, and official proceedings are generally in the public domain and not subject to copyright protection. The extensive use of such materials throughout this site further supports its legal basis.
Transformative Use Doctrine
Courts have increasingly recognized that transformative uses—those that add new meaning, insight, or understanding—are strongly favored under fair use analysis. This site's synthesis and contextualization of scattered information into a comprehensive research resource is highly transformative.
Questions About Fair Use?
If you believe any content on this site exceeds the bounds of fair use or infringes your copyright, please contact us with specific details. We take intellectual property rights seriously and will promptly review all legitimate concerns.
Last Updated: March 3, 2026