General Interest
Using quotes... copyright laws?I am interested in using some brief (mostly well known) quotes in my book such as from C. S. Lewis, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Saint Augustine, Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, etc. I am never sure what is allowable without getting permission. Has anyone ever had a problem with this? How was it resolved? Larry 
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Have a read of this post from just a few days ago. It is always worth a quick look/search of the forums to see if a similar question has been asked before. …..Tony |
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Thanks Tony… missed that… :)
Larry |
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Hi Larry It depends where you are in the World, when the piece to be quoted was written and in what context you want to use the quote. In the UK we have the UK Copyright Designs and Patents allows "fair dealing" with a copyright work for the purpose of criticism or review, provided that it is accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement.Any creative work is automatically copyrighted in the UK but I think not in some other countries. If the work is out of copyright you can use any or all of it, but if in copyright and not to be used in a critisism, educational or news context then you would need to contact the publisher or author. This could explain why Shakesperean & Biblical quotes are used for so many plays, films & books! This might help for UK http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/uk_law_summary The Berne Convention will be more use if you are in USA And just did a quick google for USA laws http://www.copyright.gov [edit] See also |
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Here’s a thought – may not apply in this case, but perhaps it will for someone. Since Blurb is not in the business of proofing what is submitted, then your first hurdle is cleared – no one at Blurb will call you on the possible infringement. Seems to me that as long as you printed just one copy for your personal use and did not allow the book to be listed in the blurb “bookstore” for viewing or sales to others, (and you do not sell your one-and-only copy), then you would have nothing to worry about – it’s your own private matter, much as if you wrote the quote in your own private notebook. But, hey – don’t take my word for it, I’m not an attorney …. just a guy with a random thought. |
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