An idea parallel to "fair use" is present in the Berne Convention, under the name "fair practice":
Article 10 (1) It shall be permissible to make quotations from a work which has already been lawfully made available to the public, provided that their making is compatible with fair practice, and their extent does not exceed that justified by the purpose, including quotations from newspaper articles and periodicals in the form of press summaries. The details of code and interpretation do of course vary from country to country. Cheers, - Michael
