Copyright laws make it illegal to borrow others original works unless they give you permission.

Copyright laws cover all kinds of original works, including books, movies, songs, drawings, and even buildings that people design.

As soon as anything you create can be seen by others, it is automatically protected by the copyright laws.

Be sure to always ask the original author if you want to borrow something that they have created.

If you do borrow someone elses original work as part of your own, be sure to give them credit.

Visit copyright.gov if you would like more information. 

Fair use is the ability to borrow a portion of someones work without breaking the copyright law.

There are only specific occasions when fair use applies.

Some examples that permit fair use are news reporting, teaching, or researching.

There is no gaurentee that using someones work would be allowed under the claim of fair use, so be very cautious when thinking of using another persons work.

You can find more on fair use at copyrightalliance.org.