Copyright

CONFU stands for the Conference on Fair Use, a U.S. government initiative from the mid-1990s that aimed to clarify how fair use applied in digital and educational settings. Although the guidelines developed during CONFU were never formally adopted as law, they have influenced best practices for educators, librarians, and institutions.

The CONFU discussions focused on using small portions of copyrighted materials—such as book excerpts, video clips, and images—for classroom use, course reserves, and presentations.

Important: CONFU guidelines are not binding or official legal standards. They offer suggested limits, not legal permissions.

CONFU suggests the following maximum portions for incorporating copyrighted works into educational multimedia projects:

✔️ Motion Media
  Up to 10% or 3 minutes, whichever is less

✔️ Text Material
  Up to 10% or 1,000 words, whichever is less
  Entire poems under 250 words may be used
  No more than 3 poems by one poet or 5 from an anthology

✔️ Music, Lyrics, and Music Video
  Up to 10% or 30 seconds, whichever is less
  Altering the melody or fundamental character is not permitted

Additional Considerations:

⏳ Multimedia projects may be used for only two years from the date of creation.

⚖️ Courts are not bound by CONFU, and the Copyright Act does not formally adopt these standards. However, following them demonstrates good faith.

Today, instructors and instructional designers should rely on the fair use doctrine established in U.S. law. This involves analyzing how a copyrighted work is used using the four-factor test.

We strongly recommend following the process outlined on our Apply Fair Use page, which includes:

• Step-by-step guidance on the four factors
• Official checklists and documentation tools
• Links to fair use laws and educational copying exceptions