Which statement best distinguishes copyright infringement from fair dealing/fair use internationally?

• A. Infringement is allowed if the user is a student.
• B. Infringement is unauthorized use; fair dealing/fair use varies by jurisdiction with different allowances for education, commentary, and research.
• C. Fair dealing is universal across all jurisdictions.
• D. Fair use always requires payment.

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that infringement is simply unauthorized use of a work, while fair dealing or fair use is a limited exception that can apply in certain circumstances. Infringement means you used a work without permission or a license. Fair dealing or fair use lets some uses go ahead without permission, but the exact rules aren’t the same everywhere: different countries grant different allowances for purposes such as education, commentary, research, or news reporting, and they weigh what’s allowed in different ways. So the statement that infringement is unauthorized use and that fair dealing/fair use varies by jurisdiction with varying allowances for education, commentary, and research correctly captures the distinction. It’s not universal across countries, and it doesn’t rely on student status or a universal payment requirement.