copyright laws? - Writers Forum

WeAreWriters · 08-05-2006, 07:54 AM

I can't seem to find an offical website for copyright laws; could anyone help me out? And do the laws from country to country? And if you send something to a magazine, does the copy-right become theirs when they publish it but the right is given back the author when it has finished. I don't really understand how it works...

pgoroncy · 08-05-2006, 10:26 AM

www.copyright.gov is the site for the US copyright office. I see you are in London though so that might not be as helpful for you. I think the two are pretty similar though. Anyway, when you sell a piece to a magazine they are buying the right to publish it. You still retain all the other rights (in most cases), depending on the wording of the contract you sign.

Mike C · 08-05-2006, 05:20 PM

Copyright should always remain yours. When your story is sold to a magazine, you sell certain rights to reproduce, not the copyright itself.

Glen1 · 08-09-2006, 03:14 PM

To learn about copyrights and copyright law, try doing a Google search for Copyright that would tell you everything you need to know. Also if you sell your item in America and you live in say England, your rights to the copyright apply under American Copyright Law.

Copyright Law is a very strict law and is hard to interpret. It has taken me three or four years to learn it. I hope that you can find something on a Google Search that will help you solve your problem.

mammamaia · 08-09-2006, 05:29 PM

british copyright laws are not exactly the same as those in the us... here's the official info site for the uk:

http://www.bl.uk/services/information/copyrightfaq.html

btw, you could have found this yourself, by just typing 'british copyright laws' into the google search slot...

Selorian · 08-09-2006, 07:01 PM

Copyright sites for the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom can be found in the Writing 101 forum listed in WF's Online Resource Guide for Writers. It's a useful tool for those who wish to use it.

mammamaia · 08-10-2006, 06:13 PM

that's good to know... i'll try to remember it and pass it on, next time someone asks...

Joewood · 09-10-2006, 07:29 AM

UK Copyright - comprehensive site with good info on your rights and what you need to do...

Pleasurepalace · 02-26-2007, 11:02 PM

QUESTION:

I want to include a poem by Milton Acorn [famous poet] in my book,
[I think he's dead] I intend [of course] to give him credit.

Is this legal according to copyright laws?

James

Mike C · 02-27-2007, 12:24 AM

Acorn died in '86, so it's a pretty safe bet that his work is still covered by copyright. Leave the poem out or get permission from his estate.

mammamaia · 03-05-2007, 01:41 AM

yup... ditto that!

trendonite · 03-07-2007, 07:53 AM

I am bumping this thread as I figure it is better to do this than start a new thread. To be short, I am having difficulty understanding copyright/fair use law with regards to publishing images in a book.

I want to use pictures of video game screenshots, box covers, and company logos in a book dedicated to reviewing the lighter side of the video game industry. Up until now, I've done as I was told. "Shut up, just write the first draft and worry about that later." Well, the first draft is done and now I believe it is time to start figuring out what I'm to do.

I checked out some books that I have and I could not find one that showed a box or capture of the screen during gameplay. I found some pages with live shots from expos and a few sports books with mugshots and on-field action. In all of them, the author simply affixed a brief credit (Joe Schmoe/World Wide Pictures) to the side of the photo. I doubt this is going to cut it for me.

Using this thread and Google, I found a ton of Fair Use, copyright, protected art topic, but nothing that would explain what I would have to do. Forgive me a thousand times over if this has all been explained or is "right there" for me. If it is any consolation, I am not the dumbest sandwich in the picnic, but since this stuff doesn't come right out and say what's up, I get confused.

- Do I have to contact the companies and ask for permission? If so, what if the company doesn't exist anymore as that is true in a few instances? Do I have to explain precisely what I am using it for? That's kind of important considering they are not always being talked about nicely!

- While this won't be a book reviewing games, if you go to any online video game review website (gamespy.com, for example), they just throw the photo in there with absolutely no credit whatsoever. Is it because they took the photo of their action of the game? If so, I could easily chop off 90% of the worry by just taking my own captures.

- Assuming I have to acquire the game company's permission to publish a game, what if *that* picture was taken by a third-party? I can think of two pictures I have in my draft that are of a copyrighted video game that was taken by someone else. One of them is a picture of a prominent player in the industry playing a video game at an exhibit. Do I have to obtain three sets of permissions (the developer, the person, and the photographer) for this one?

I am sorry for throwing all this out there. I just want to be completely prepared for when I start contacting people about the project and, since I am a newb to it all, I'd rather be as light a shade of green as I can be.

Thanks in advance!