Fair Use Rights 101 for Writers: To Use or Not to Use? That is the Question You might have bumped into the term fair useâwhat does it mean? And how does it effect writers? Here, literary agent and publishing attorney Joseph Perry has the answers. Author: May 29, 2021 Fair use. I’m sure you’ve heard the term. Perhaps you’ve dealt with it in your own writing. Maybe you’ve heard certain myths about it (like only using a certain percentage of another’s work is okay). To help you better understand the mystery that is fair use, below is an introduction to the concept.