Copyright Considerations and Fair Use for Documentary Filmmakers [click to download pdf] is a guide to navigating fair use and avoiding copyright infringement litigation as an independent filmmaker. I authored the paper following my own experiences producing an independent documentary film, You Gotta Have Soul. With the Internet as a means of distribution and the plummeting costs of digital video equipment, independent documentary film-making is now more affordable than ever. However, rights clearance costs have skyrocketed over the last twenty years, and they continue to plague low-budget projects that can’t afford expensive licensing. Fair use is sometimes an acceptable legal alternative to securing expensive rights to music, footage, photographs, and any number of other works independent filmmakers need to profile their subjects. This paper explains how, when, and where a proper fair use defense might be used.