Area · Copyright & content
Right of quotation & fair use
It is the right that allows limited use of parts of works for purposes of criticism, discussion, teaching or research, within specific limits.
Fair use and Italian law
The expression fair use comes from US law. In Italy the reference is Art. 70 of the copyright law (Law 633/1941).
What Art. 70 provides
Summarising, quoting or reproducing passages or parts of a work, and communicating them to the public, is free:
- when done for criticism or discussion, within the limits justified by those purposes and provided it does not compete with the commercial exploitation of the work;
- when done for teaching or scientific research, the use must also be for illustrative and non-commercial purposes.
The duty to credit the source
A summary, quotation or reproduction must always be accompanied by the title of the work and the names of the author and publisher (and, for translations, of the translator), where these appear on the work reproduced.
The limits
Beyond these limits, using a protected work without the rights holder’s authorisation can infringe copyright: see the right to remove protected content.
The information on this page is for general guidance and is not a substitute for legal advice.