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Simple English definitions for legal terms
parody
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A quick definition of parody:
A parody is when someone makes a funny version of a book, movie, or artwork. They do this to make fun of the original work or to say something about it. In America, people are allowed to make parodies because it's a way of expressing themselves. But sometimes, the people who made the original work might say that the parody is breaking the law. To fight this, the people who made the parody can say that they're using the original work in a fair way. This means they're not trying to make money from it and they're only using a little bit of it.
A more thorough explanation:
A parody is a type of creative work that imitates another work in a humorous or exaggerated way. It is often used to criticize or comment on the original work or the artist who created it. Parodies are protected by the First Amendment in the United States as a form of expression, but they may still be subject to copyright infringement claims.
Parodies rely on the fair use exception to combat claims of copyright infringement. This exception is governed by four factors:
- The purpose and character of the use
- The nature of the original work
- The amount and substantiality of the original work used
- The effect on the market value of the original work
Courts are more likely to find that a parody qualifies as fair use if its purpose is to serve as a social commentary and not for purely commercial gain.
- The TV show South Park often parodies celebrities and politicians. In one episode, they created a parody of the movie Inception called Insheeption, which pokes fun at the idea of dream therapy.
- The book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a parody of the classic novel Pride and Prejudice. It adds a new element of horror by including zombies in the story.
These examples illustrate how parodies take an existing work and exaggerate or change it in a humorous way. They also show how parodies can be used to comment on or criticize the original work or its themes.