Return To Home    •    Importance of Public Domain Woodworking Plans

What Is "Fair Use" And How Does It Apply To Woodworking Plans? 

The terminology, "Fair Use", is often misunderstood by many. People think that the use of anything in a fair or justified manner, is termed as "Fair Use". This is a misconception, as "Fair Use" is basically a copyright law that allows a restricted use of the copyrighted information without necessarily having permission from the right holders.

This terminology has originated from USA. You need to understand that Fair Use applies only to that material which is copyrighted. It allows you to use some parts of copyrighted information without being unlawful. But if you are copying the entire material, in spite of the fact that it is protected under copyright laws, it could be considered copyright piracy.

How does Fair Use apply to Woodworking Plans? Well, the logic is not that hard to understand. Many Woodworking plans on different web portals are available to users on various terms of payment. This means that Woodworking plans are shared only with a client if he/she pays. It is then the client or user’s responsibility to protect that woodworking plan and use it strictly for his/her own use. The user is not allowed to duplicate it and put it on another webpage in an attempt to sell it online as his/her own intellectual work. Fair use for any woodworking plan clearly means that the plan should strictly be used for the one time construction of any wooden furniture.