Generally, something is considered fair use when the original material is used for a limited and 'transformative' purpose, such as commentary, criticism or parody. case that definitively states whether creating a GIF made from copyrighted material is or isn’t copyright infringement.” Because of this, whether or not usage of a GIF is legal depends on whether or not that usage falls under the doctrine of ‘fair use.’'įair use is determined not only by the nature of the GIF, but also by who created it and its intended purpose. According to Peter Van Valkenburgh, 'As of October 2013, there is no U.S. Individuals often make and share GIFs with little concern for the repercussions, but companies - and legislative bodies - need to be aware of copyright restrictions. This usage undermines the copyright owner’s ability to control derivatives of their work, where or how their work is shared, and their right to receive proceeds. The trouble lies in using someone else’s original content to create and share a GIF.
