FAIR USE
PURPOSE
The purpose of this website is to exam the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses; these teachings may be expressed through various methods (e.g. orally, literature, video etc.). To fulfill its mandate, Thinking Witnesses makes use of several material, primarily, but not limited to, those belonging to the Watchtower organisation that may otherwise be subject to copyright law. However, copyright statutes usually make a provision for ‘fair use’, thus allowing an otherwise copyrighted work to be freely used by a third party, for such purposes as criticism, news reporting, teaching and parody, without falling foul of the law.
‘FAIR USE’ IN THE U.S.
Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976 outlines the ambit of fair use. It states that ‘the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use as reproduction in copies […] for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching […], scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.’
‘FAIR DEALINGS’ IN SOUTH AFRICA
Section 12 of the Copyright Act of 1978 (as last amended in 2002) makes provision for ‘fair dealings’ (‘fair use’) which states that ‘copyright shall not be infringed by any fair dealing with a literary […] work for the purpose of research or private study by […] the person using the work’ or ‘for the purpose of criticism or review of that work or of another work; or for the purpose of reporting on current events in a newspaper, magazine, or similar periodical; or by means of broadcasting […] provided that, in the case of [such criticism and reporting], the source shall be mentioned, as well as the author of it appears on the work.’
Thinking Witnesses takes great effort to honour copyrights and to operate within the permissible exceptions. If you are the owner of a copyright and feel that we are exceeding the ambit of fair use, please advise us so in writing, clearly stating your reasons; our legal department will promptly look into it.
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