What is the test for "transformative use" under the Fair Use Act?

MultiRegion, United States of America

The following excerpt is from American Geophysical Union v. Texaco Inc., 37 F.3d 881 (2nd Cir. 1994):

The "transformative use" concept is pertinent to a court's investigation under the first factor because it assesses the value generated by the secondary use and the means by which such value is generated. To the extent that the secondary use involves merely an untransformed duplication, the value generated by the secondary use is little or nothing more than the value that inheres in the original. Rather than making some contribution of new intellectual value and thereby fostering the advancement of the arts and sciences, an untransformed copy is likely to be used simply for the same intrinsic purpose as the original, thereby providing limited justification for a finding of fair use. See Weissmann v. Freeman, 868 F.2d 1313, 1324 (2d Cir.) (explaining that a use merely for the same "intrinsic purpose" as original "moves the balance of the calibration on the first factor against" secondary user and "seriously weakens a claimed fair use"), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 883, 110 S.Ct. 219, 107 L.Ed.2d 172 (1989). 9

Other Questions


What is the test for "transformative use" under the Fair Use Act? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
What is the role of a federal district judge in reviewing claims of transformative use? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Can a state law issue be transformed into federal law issue by merely invoking due process? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
What is the "transformative" factor in determining whether a new work has been added to the original work? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Does the subsequent involvement of government agents retroactively transform a private search into a governmental search? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
What is the current test for reasonableness under the Fourth Amendment? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
What is the current state of the law on donations to a non-profit organization that is not engaged in terrorist activities? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Is there any case law where a plaintiff has alleged that he was denied access to the same treatment as a plaintiff because of his disability? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Does dissolution of a joint venture terminate the fiduciary obligations of the joint venturers to each other? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
What is the test for a federal district court to review a final judgment of a bankruptcy judge's findings? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.