Guest1:
Do you think it’s wrong for me if I take a video Someone posted of The Passion of the Christ for example like a scene from The Passion of the Christ and repost it on Instagram?
do you think it’s okay to repost other people’s Instagram pictures such as pictures of Jesus or religious ones without asking? Or without giving credit?
Do you think it’s wrong if I repost a bit of a Catholic song off of YouTube and put it on Instagram?
What if I take videos on YouTube religious ones to make music videos and post it on Instagram?
The short answer is that if you have created an image, video, music, etc., you can use it in any way you like. If someone else created it, it is covered by copyright law.
Materials covered by copyright law may be used, subject to fair use guidelines.
What is fair use? It varies. These are the four factors to consider:
- Purpose and character of the use. Using someone else’s material for commercial gain is not likely to be fair use. Using it in a classroom may be.
- Nature of the copyrighted work. It is more likely to be fair use if you are citing a news article or other factual material. Using creative work – a movie, a song, etc. – is less likely to be fair use.
- Amount of the portion used compared to the copyrighted work as a whole. Using a large portion of a work is less likely to be fair use.
- Effect on the potential market for the copyrighted work. If someone is less likely to buy the copyrighted work because of your use of it, your use is less likely to be covered by fair use.
In short, if you didn’t create the work you have no absolute right to use it. You may be able to use it consistent with fair use. The easiest way to be sure is to ask the copyright owner if you may repost the work. They may say yes, they may say no, or they may have conditions such as linking to their original site. Both morally and legally you should respect their intellectual property.
