Questions tagged [copyright]

Questions involving matters of copyright, encapsulating parody and level of similarity questions, reprinting and publishing of copyrighted works, public domain, attribution, fanfiction, legality, and fair use questions. Any question involving copyright law in the U.S. or abroad should be given this tag.

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2 votes
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Is poetry written along the known song legal from the view point of copyright?

I wrote some (humorous) poetry that uses a known song as a pattern. The poetry could be sung instead of the original words of the song but I do not have any musical background to perform such a ...
0 votes
1 answer
52 views

What does the line of numbers at the very bottom of the copyright page mean?

I wish to finally publish my manuscript and fill in the copyright page, but I notice, in other publications, at the very bottom of the copyright page, is a row of numbers. Or actually, two sets of ...
3 votes
1 answer
499 views

How can we avoid legal action from the family of a deceased dictator who we're caricaturing?

As we are writing a comic book, we find ourselves blocked by legal issues: The script contains fictional and real political elements including disputes and dialogues between dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu ...
2 votes
0 answers
42 views

What do these 3 numbers mean on the copyright page?

Text: published in the USA by Hyperion Books for Children 2005 Published in Great Britain by Puffin Books 2005 This edition published 2013 020 What do the 3 numbers mean?
0 votes
1 answer
71 views

Can I use a song lyric as the title of my theatre production?

I'm starting a theatre company and one of the ideas I have thought of for a production is an ongoing series of monologue/scratch evenings. I want to have the premise of each night to latch onto the ...
4 votes
3 answers
356 views

Is it a copyright violation to quote another book in my book?

I am writing a novel from the perspective of a character who is very obsessed with Chuck Palahniuk’s “Fight Club.” This is essential to the character and can’t be changed, but I can (and will, ...
4 votes
1 answer
99 views

How do I protect my future rights when approaching a publisher with a completed short story?

I have 11 non-fiction stories I am about to shop to magazine publishers. How do I protect my second and third . . . etc. publishing rights in my negotiations with first time publishers? How do I ...
0 votes
2 answers
236 views

Is it copyright infringement if my character is pretty similar to another character?

I want to create a manga. The problem is that my characters are pretty similar to oshi no ko characters. For example, the main character has the star eyes like ai eyes, and her eyes are purple. ...
0 votes
0 answers
102 views

Am I plagiarizing?

I seem to see some similar questions to this, but not ones that answer my question well enough that I feel confident, so I’d love some feedback on my specific situation. I am a few chapters in to ...
0 votes
1 answer
100 views

Am I legally allowed to expand someone else's short story into a novel?

For years I told a short story in my kindergarten classroom. It was written and freely shared by the writer. I rewrote the short story (2-3 pages) into a middle grade chapter book, expanding the plot, ...
1 vote
1 answer
120 views

I have a character that has a slightly similar name to a title of a book. Do I have to change it even though it’s spelled completely different?

I have a character name that is similar to a book title. However the name is a fantasy type name but I spell it completely different. Will I get in trouble for my character having a similar name?
1 vote
1 answer
126 views

Legality of screenshots from TV commercials

Screenshots from TV commercials. I'm writing a book on costume design for students and I want to show an image from A TV commercial showing an example of advertising costuming style. Is it legal to ...
1 vote
3 answers
327 views

Can I name characters after characters in another work of fiction, or is that going to lead to copyright issues?

I have a novel in mind to write and I want to name the main two characters after two minor characters in Star Trek. They are not at all alike or connected in any way, but Star Trek is very important ...
2 votes
2 answers
169 views

Posting Poetry by Deceased Persons

Do I have a legal right to post poetry on FB from my deceased grandmother's journal, written by others now deceased, in the 1920's, which includes their names and addresses? The journal was given to ...
2 votes
1 answer
110 views

Seeking advice on safeguarding my manuscript

I'm an Australian writer who is contemplating sending my manuscript to a novel editor in America. I'm concerned about the possibility of my work being claimed by someone else. Given my limited ...
2 votes
3 answers
142 views

Recreating public domain children's stories and using the original illustration?

Personally, I love old children's books. The artwork is phenomenal. Recently I saw more than one person selling Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. I do not intend to take public domain stories from one ...
0 votes
0 answers
90 views

It is legal to recreate Camp Half-Blood in my own writing? [duplicate]

"Camp Half-Blood" is the name of a location in a book series of the same name from the author Rick Riordan. It is legal to recreate this location in my own writing, even if the original ...
-1 votes
1 answer
71 views

A Novel Based Off A Song...How Close Can It Get?

I have recently become obsessed with the song Devil Town by Cavetown. I haven't been that into writing recently and this song has really inspired me. I was wondering what's a yes and whats a no to ...
1 vote
2 answers
296 views

How can I know if my character name is already taken? If it is, can I use the same name?

I am creating an action/adventure comic strip in the vein of Indiana Jones. Currently the character’s name is Panda Jack. The strip will have a title like “Panda Jack and the… fill-in-the-blank”. I am ...
0 votes
1 answer
71 views

Can I publish a collection of poetry that alludes to other authors such as Shakespeare and Wordsworth without violating copyright?

I am a teacher. My students want to self publish their work as a collection of poetry and short stories. Some of their assignments were to allude to other works and authors—like Wordsworth or ...
6 votes
3 answers
1k views

Can I use more specific monsters and creatures legally?

To be specific, metallic or chromatic dragons for an example. I know mindflayers and beholders and such are way off the list. But is the concept of dragons in distinct categories like this too similar ...
10 votes
3 answers
2k views

Do you need to get author's permission to quote him in a non-fiction book?

I have a non-fiction book idea that would frequently use quotes/reviews from a specific author. Would I need to get that author's permission to quote him/her, and to base the entire book on these ...
1 vote
0 answers
91 views

Rights Clearance for Self-Publishers

Asking a lawyer to vet a book would be very expensive. Someone told me a better option is to hire a firm that specializes in reviewing books for intellectual problems, publicity rights, defamation, ...
1 vote
1 answer
79 views

Can emphasizing a point qualify as fair use?

I'm learning the ropes regarding fair use. An important key word appears to be "transformative." If I'm writing political commentary, and I violently disagree with someone else's opinion, I ...
1 vote
1 answer
364 views

Do I have to get permission to use a person’s pet’s first name and likeness?

I want to start a comic series about my pets living in a universe without humans. This would include their interactions with my neighbors and friends pets. I only use the pet’s first name and the ...
0 votes
1 answer
90 views

Copyright question?

Can I use the phrases "what do you see?" and "I see--" that is used in Brown Bear, Brown Bear in a children’s book, or are those phrases copyrighted? My book is about Halloween ...
1 vote
3 answers
180 views

Do I need to ask real locations' permission to use them in my story?

I have written a children's book about dragons and the things they do in Texas. Do I need to ask i.e. the Lubbock Arboretum if it's okay that I mention them in my story? So my question is: When do I ...
4 votes
8 answers
6k views

Can my character's name match someone in real life?

Is it legally OK that my character's name by coincidence matches someone's in real life, famous or not? (For example I am naming a character Aaron Hale.) The character's appearance and everything else ...
0 votes
0 answers
28 views

Can I say the word LEGO in my book [duplicate]

Can I say the lego set was destroyed on perpouse by someone?
2 votes
2 answers
303 views

Is my story too much like Harry Potter?

Is my story too much like Harry Potter? My story is set in a magical world hidden within our own, and it has many magical version of things we do. It has wands but I have decided to change it and ...
0 votes
1 answer
148 views

Would this be a copyright issue?

I had an idea for a book like "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" but based on a popular children’s movie. If the artwork is my own, would there be any possible copyright issues?
2 votes
3 answers
524 views

Too much like Harry Potter - Tropes

I am designing a magical world for which I have plenty of ideas but I am worried if they are too much like Harry Potter. Please look through this list and tell me which ideas are too much like Harry ...
1 vote
1 answer
68 views

Applying copyright for book with photos

When we register a book for copyright, do we need to apply for separate copyright registration for the photos in the book? And how about the front and back cover, can we add those to the pdf file of ...
4 votes
2 answers
634 views

How is AI treated in terms of copyright?

If a writer uses an AI tool and enters a prompt then uses the tool's output, is that copyright infringed? Just to be more clear with my question. I am not talking about a prompt that says "Write ...
11 votes
4 answers
6k views

On copyright laws and plots

I was pondering a lot on the issue with copyrights on plots. Is having an identical plot infringing someone else's copyrighted work? I am fully aware that the character names are copyrighted and ...
1 vote
1 answer
159 views

Can I use a song and/or quotes when writing a play?

I would like to write a one act play based on a song. Would I be violating any copyright issues or anything for this approach? A music video was made for the song and one film used it for its opening ...
-1 votes
1 answer
116 views

Is this plagiarism or against copyright?

The main character is an Isekai'd individual who gains a summon skill that lets her create templates of her summons. She makes a summon called Kuriboh that initially can multiply and explode. Some of ...
0 votes
4 answers
171 views

Is it legal to publish a public domain text with an alternate ending?

We were talking about this with my teacher in the language class. What if someone took a public domain text and published an alternate ending? Would this be legal? Clarification: In my country (...
0 votes
1 answer
86 views

Publishing copyright with regard to novels and comics

I wasn't sure where to post this, but I have a couple of questions about copyright law regarding written and illustrated works. If I traditionally publish a novel and maintain the copyright, can I ...
-1 votes
2 answers
89 views

Can I take the text of my own already published book (ebook & POD), amend & improve it, add new title and cover pic, and self-publish as a new book?

I have a published (ebook & paperback) novel which was published in 2015 by a UK publishing house. The text was never carefully or properly proofed and there were many printing problems. Net ...
1 vote
4 answers
1k views

Copyright permission for use of song lyrics

Do I need to have copyright permission for song lyrics if I am doing a written review of a concert that contains those lyrics and I quote the lyrics in my review?
1 vote
0 answers
24 views

International post-publicaton copyright

I have an unusual question. My husband wrote a non-fiction niche book which is unlikely to ever have any monetary value and which was self-published in Canada. He is recently deceased. I am not sure ...
4 votes
2 answers
57 views

Correct authorship attribution for online resource published under usernames

I am currently writing my PhD thesis and found a very helpful illustration of the human brain which is distributed under a CC license. I made some minor changes to the image, but of course I still ...
1 vote
2 answers
198 views

What if I have a story with some characters from another story by a different author and don't want to be copyrighted?

I am writing a story with some of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson characters in it like, Percy, Annabeth, Grover,Leo, Hazel, Piper, Jason, and much more other characters in his story. I wanted to make a &...
0 votes
2 answers
1k views

How to copyright my deceased brother's book

When I apply to copyright my deceased brother's book, do I do it in my name?
1 vote
4 answers
636 views

Do I need the copyright to mention Tim Hortons?

So I'm writing a book, (duh) and I want to include a mention of a Tim Hortons cup, (Canadian coffee place) just to hint at the reader that I'm Canadian. I want to put it in there casually; it's gonna ...
-2 votes
1 answer
203 views

Can there be fan fiction of a public domain universe?

Fan fiction generally occupies a gray area of the law - widely tolerated under "fair use" for noncommercial sharing, publication, and performance, but almost never acceptable for profiting ...
0 votes
1 answer
79 views

should I insert a copyright notice into my Kindle Direct Publishing Vella publication?

Is it a good idea to have a copyright notice at the beginning or end of each episode, or in my Vella story's Description section? I'm thinking maybe: "COPYRIGHT 2022 BY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED"
0 votes
1 answer
61 views

Copywrite/patent issues

I am writing a children' book. The main character is an animal that has a name and characteristics that are very identifiable to a human actor's character. For instance, let's say the animal was a ...
0 votes
1 answer
80 views

What can I do so my work isn't closely similar to others?

I'm writing romance right now. I'm on the part where it's like a really good poem or a scene. You know, the one where you'll see it posted/quoted everywhere in Instagram or some other, but everything ...

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