Limitations and exceptions to copyright

The expression "limitations and exceptions to copyright" refers to situations in which the exclusive rights granted to authors (or their asignees) under copyright law do not apply.

Two important examples of limitations and exceptions to copyright are the fair use doctrine found in the United States, and the fair dealing doctrine found in many other common law countries.

The scope of copyright limitations and exceptions is currently a subject of significant controversy within various nations (largely because of the impact of digital technology, digital rights management, and implementations of anti-circumvention rules required by the WIPO Copyright Treaty). Limitations and exceptions are also the subject of significant regulation by international treaties (see particularly the Berne three-step test and the older Berne minor exceptions doctrine).