Can I use this clip? The four fair-use factors in plain words

Describe the clip you want to use; get the four fair-use factors in plain words and the safer ways to get it, like asking the owner or using licensed music.

What it does

No bot required, and no bot can give you a yes or no here. The U.S. Copyright Office says fair use is decided case by case by weighing four factors: why and how you're using it (commentary, criticism, teaching or news reporting, and uses that add something new, lean toward fair; plain copying doesn't), what kind of work it is (borrowing from factual works leans fairer than from creative ones like movies and songs), how much you take (less is better, but even a small piece can be too much if it's the "heart" of the work), and whether your video could stand in for the original or hurt its market. There's no safe number of seconds. YouTube Help adds that saying "I don't own this," "no infringement intended" or giving credit doesn't make a copy fair use, and that Content ID can't decide fair use either. Paste a short description of what you want to use into any chat AI and it explains the four factors for your situation, then points you to the safer paths: ask the owner for permission, shoot your own footage, or use licensed or platform-provided music, like YouTube's Audio Library. It also explains what a Content ID claim means if you get one. Good for gaming, reaction, review and tech channels. This is not legal advice. If you're unsure about a specific clip, ask the owner or a lawyer before you post.

Copy-paste prompt

No bot needed: paste this into Grok, ChatGPT, or Claude.

I'm planning a video and want to understand fair use before I use someone else's material. Use the U.S. Copyright Office's fair use page and YouTube Help's "Fair use on YouTube" page as background. Don't tell me whether my use is fair or legal. Only a court can decide that. Explain it so I can make a careful choice.

Platform: [YouTube / YouTube Shorts / TikTok / other]
What I want to use: [e.g. 8 seconds of a movie scene / a popular song in the background / gameplay footage from another streamer / a news clip / a photo]
How I'd use it: [e.g. reviewing it and talking over it / background music / reacting to it / teaching how something works]
Is my channel monetized? [yes / no]

1. Walk me through the four factors the Copyright Office lists, in plain words, for my situation, and keep each one to 2-3 sentences:
- Purpose and character: am I commenting on it, criticizing it, teaching or reporting, or adding something new? Or just reposting it? Note that the Copyright Office says commercial use isn't automatically unfair and nonprofit use isn't automatically fair.
- Nature of the work: is it more factual (like a news item) or more creative (like a movie or song)? Is it unpublished?
- Amount: how much am I using, and is it the most memorable or important part (the "heart") of the work? Remind me there's no safe number of seconds.
- Market effect: could my video replace the original for someone, or cut into the owner's sales or licensing?
Then list the questions I should think hard about. Don't add them up into a verdict.
2. Clear up common myths, based on YouTube Help: giving credit, "I don't own this," "no infringement intended," and "for entertainment only" don't make a copy fair use.
3. Give me the safer paths, starting with the simplest:
- Ask the owner for permission, and get it in writing. Draft me a short, polite permission request I can send myself, saying exactly what I'd use, how long it is, and where it would go.
- Use my own footage, recordings or screenshots instead.
- Use music and sound effects from the platform's own library, like YouTube's Audio Library in YouTube Studio, and follow its attribution rules (Creative Commons tracks need credit in the description). If it's from another "royalty-free" site, remind me to read the license to check it allows YouTube use and monetization.
4. Explain Content ID simply: what a claim is, that it can block, monetize or track a video, that I may be able to trim the segment or replace or erase the song in YouTube Studio, and that disputing without a valid reason can lead to a removal request and a copyright strike.
5. If my plan sounds risky, say so plainly and suggest the safer path instead.

Keep it short and calm. End with: this is a plain-language explainer, not legal advice. If I'm unsure about a specific clip, ask the owner or a lawyer before I post.