Fair use allows individuals to break copyright so long as they
a. think that they are being fair in their use
b. can prove they are not infringing on copyright
c. share copyrighted material with everyone
d. ask for permission, even if they get no response

Fair use allows individuals to break copyright so long as they b. Can prove they are not infringing on copyright.

Using another person's work without his permission is considered copyright infringement. However, fair use allows people to use other people's work without their permission, as long as the works used are for commentary, criticism, new reporting, or educational purposes. As long you can prove that a work was not used for infringement purposes, you can break copyright.