How exactly are parodies protected under Fair Use?

A parody is a work that ridicules another, usually well-known work, by imitating it in a comic way. Judges understand that, by its nature, parody demands some taking from the original work being parodied. read more

Well, sometimes they are sued. Or, far more often, a not-quite-fair-use project gets sued and then makes the claim that they are a parody. Beastie Boys settle lawsuit with toy maker over 'Girls' parody ad. Fair use is not a shield to being sued. It is a defense you make in court, trying to prove to a judge that you fit the rules. read more

When determining whether a work constitutes fair use, court engage in a case-by-case analysis and a flexible balancing of four factors in the Copyright Act. The factors are: 1. the purpose and character of the use; 2. the nature of the copyrighted work; 3. read more

FAIR USE ANALYSIS. The Copyright Act in Section 107 enumerates four "fair use factors" that must be analyzed to determine whether a particular use of a copyrighted work, such as a parody, is fair use. read more