Fair Use Policy & Legal Information
Understanding our commitment to ethical use of Christian sermon content for research and education.
Fair Use Principles
Educational Purpose
Content is used solely for educational and research purposes, supporting theological studies and academic inquiry.
Transformative Use
Transcripts are processed, structured, and made searchable, creating new value for research applications.
Non-Commercial
All content is provided free of charge with no commercial intent or monetary benefit.
Legal Framework
U.S. Copyright Law - Section 107
Our use of sermon transcripts falls under the Fair Use provision of U.S. Copyright Law (17 U.S.C. § 107), which permits the use of copyrighted material for purposes such as:
- Criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching
- Scholarship or research
- Educational purposes
- Transformative applications
Four Factor Analysis
1. Purpose and Character of Use
Educational and Research Use: The Christian Sermon Dataset is designed exclusively for:
- Theological research and academic study
- AI training for religious content understanding
- Comparative denominational analysis
- Accessibility for hearing-impaired individuals
- Preservation of Christian teachings for future generations
2. Nature of Copyrighted Work
Public Religious Discourse: The transcribed sermons are:
- Publicly broadcast religious teachings
- Intended for wide distribution and sharing
- Educational and spiritual in nature
- Available on public platforms (YouTube)
3. Amount and Substantiality
Necessary Portion for Research: We use complete transcripts because:
- Partial transcripts would not serve research purposes
- Complete context is essential for theological analysis
- Fragmented content cannot support academic inquiry
- Full transcripts enable comprehensive topic classification
4. Effect on Market Value
No Market Harm: Our use does not negatively impact the original work because:
- We direct users to original YouTube channels
- Text transcripts do not replace video content
- We serve different audiences (researchers vs. worshippers)
- Our platform promotes rather than competes with original content
Attribution & Credit
We are committed to proper attribution and respect for content creators:
- All transcripts include original video titles and speaker names
- Direct links to original YouTube channels are provided
- Ministry names and descriptions are prominently displayed
- No attempt is made to claim ownership of original content
- Clear distinction between our platform and original creators
Content Removal Policy
We respect the rights of content creators. If you are a content creator and wish to have your material removed from our dataset:
Removal Request Process
- Contact us at contact@gospelsounders.org
- Provide specific details about the content to be removed
- Include proof of ownership or authority to request removal
- We will respond within 48 hours and remove content within 7 days
User Responsibilities
Users of this dataset must:
- Use content only for legitimate research or educational purposes
- Provide proper attribution when citing or referencing transcripts
- Not use content for commercial purposes
- Respect the spiritual and religious nature of the content
- Report any concerns or issues to our team
International Considerations
While our primary legal framework is U.S. Copyright Law, we recognize that:
- Some content may originate from international sources
- Educational fair use principles exist in many jurisdictions
- Religious content often enjoys broader usage rights
- We will comply with legitimate international removal requests
Disclaimer
Legal Disclaimer: This fair use policy is provided for informational purposes and represents our good faith interpretation of applicable law. It does not constitute legal advice. The Christian Sermon Dataset is a research project created in good faith to support theological education and research.
We believe our use of copyrighted material falls clearly within the bounds of fair use, but we respect the rights of content creators and will address any legitimate concerns promptly and professionally.
Questions or Concerns?
We are committed to ethical use of content and open to dialogue with content creators and users.