Can I Use This? Copyright and Fair Use in Practice

Copyright is a growing concern among researchers, who may have questions like “When can I use someone else’s copyrighted work?” or “What rights do I have in my own research?” This workshop will cover basic copyright principles, as well as taking a deeper dive into how exceptions to the law like fair use apply in an academic setting. Expect large-group discussion of real-life fair use case studies. Participants are encouraged to bring examples of texts, images, and other copyrighted materials they would like to incorporate into their work for the group to discuss.

This workshop is presented by Liz Hamilton, Copyright Librarian at Northwestern University Libraries.

This is a virtual workshop, held over Zoom and is limited to Northwestern University students, staff, and faculty with a Northwestern Zoom account.

Northwestern University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all events and programs. Accommodations such as sign language interpreters, accessible seating, and presentation materials in alternate formats are provided upon request. Please contact Anne Sticksel, amsticksel@northwestern.edu or 847-491-2922 by Thursday, January 15, 2026.

Every reasonable effort will be made to implement accommodations in an effective and timely manner.