Hi! I am a beginning freelance writer. I am writing an article in which I've based some of my ideas on texts I used in college. Will I be sued if I don't ask the authors' permission? They say that "stealing from one source is plagiarism, but stealing from many sources is research." Is this true? At what point does the use of previously published material cross the line from … [Read more...]
What is a “Poor Man’s Copyright”?
The other day a client asked this question: Getting a copyright seems expensive. I can’t afford to spend hundreds of dollars for lawyers and fees. Someone told me that I can get a “poor man’s copyright” by mailing my work to myself, then keeping the sealed envelope to prove when I created the work. It seems like this could save me some money. Is there any special way I need to … [Read more...]
Copyright and Fair Use
One of the most misunderstood aspects of copyright law is the concept of “fair use.” Some people believe that fair use allows anyone to use up to a certain number of words from a copyrighted work (such as 120) or not more than a percentage (such as 10%) of the entire work. However, the law contains no such provision. Although the law does not specify exactly what constitutes … [Read more...]