The Doctrine of Fair Use in the Aspect of COVID-19 Pandemic : Perspective of Copyright Laws in Bangladesh

The doctrine of fair use or fair dealing indicates exceptions to the author's exclusive right under copyright law. This doctrine permits making copies or using copyrighted work in such a way that does not consider copyright infringement. The primary objective behind the doctrine is the benefit of society, which could be through educational institutions, for instance, by allowing photocopies of a book for teaching, which does not amount to infringement of copyright. COVID-19 pandemic and the consequential lockdown worldwide have changed people’s lifestyles, and even educational institutions are now serving their students online. Even though people are adjusting to this new normal situation, issues concerning the uncertainty of how the doctrine of fair use or fair dealing under copyright law will apply to online education have emerged. Does this doctrine of fair use extend to the online education system? This article will scrutinize the position and scope under Bangladeshi law on fair use concerning questions that have arisen in the aftermath of online teaching. Therefore, this article aims to study the status of the doctrine of fair use in the aspect of this pandemic and discover the applicability of this doctrine in terms of the online education system to observe the position and practice of the other jurisdictions in this regard