Using text and/or images from books in posts

[Montaigne]

I have a fairly extensive collection of books on historical ships, naval history and related, and was wondering if I may post excerpts of those, text and/or pictures, in support of posts? I’m referring to physical books that I own; most of them antiquarian and vintage that have been out of print for many years. I don’t want to infringe on any copyright issues, so I just want to make sure what the advice on this is on MSW?

[ccoyle]

MSW follows the copyright/fair use laws of the United States. Fair use allows short snippets of copyrighted works to be used for discussion or critique; a rule-of-thumb (not a legal standard) is about 5% of a work. The exact percentage allowable is made on a case-by-case basis only when an infringement is challenged in court. Most excerpts posted at MSW fall well within the amount allowable under fair use. Works whose copyright has expired and which are now considered to be in the public domain carry no such restrictions. In the US, copyright protections are automatic for the life of the author plus 70 years.

[Montaigne]

10 minutes ago, ccoyle said:

MSW follows the copyright/fair use laws of the United States. Fair use allows short snippets of copyrighted works to be used for discussion or critique; a rule-of-thumb (not a legal standard) is about 5% of a work. The exact percentage allowable is made on a case-by-case basis only when an infringement is challenged in court. Most excerpts posted at MSW fall well within the amount allowable under fair use. Works whose copyright has expired and which are now considered to be in the public domain carry no such restrictions. In the US, copyright protections are automatic for the life of the author plus 70 years.

Excellent, that's precisely what I was hoping for. Many thanks!

[robert952]

Since you mentioned "antiquarian and vintage" material, I share these details to add to Chris' comments. 

 

According to the article at  this link on Publicdomainreview.org:

 

Newly entering the public domain in 2023 will be:

• works by people who died in 1952, for countries with a copyright term of “life plus 70 years” (e.g. UK, Russia, most of EU and South America);
• works by people who died in 1972, for countries with a term of “life plus 50 years” (e.g. New Zealand, and most of Africa and Asia);
• films and books (incl. artworks featured) published in 1927 for the United States. 

[Montaigne]

4 hours ago, robert952 said:

Since you mentioned "antiquarian and vintage" material, I share these details to add to Chris' comments. 

 

According to the article at  this link on Publicdomainreview.org:

 

Newly entering the public domain in 2023 will be:

• works by people who died in 1952, for countries with a copyright term of “life plus 70 years” (e.g. UK, Russia, most of EU and South America);
• works by people who died in 1972, for countries with a term of “life plus 50 years” (e.g. New Zealand, and most of Africa and Asia);
• films and books (incl. artworks featured) published in 1927 for the United States. 

Thanks, appreciate it. Most of my collection is in Swedish and we have the same law; "older literature where it has been at least 70 years since the author died is free to use”. However, after just doing some research on the matter, our laws regarding snippets of copyrighted work for discussion or critique seem to differ. Here, those laws seems stricter, such as the following excerpt: "Taking a picture of a book cover or movie poster and using it in a review of the book or movie is permitted as long as the review is published in printed form, i.e. in paper form. However, permission is needed from the illustrator or photographer who made the book cover if the review is to be published digitally." (Translated from a Swedish website on copyright matters). Further research indicates this might also apply on for example places like Facebook.

Hm...

Since this is an American forum, American laws apply, so I gather the only one taking a risk in that case would be me. I'm also quite convinced that anything I would post translated text snippets and one off pictures from are from people long since gone that could care less, and of course the really dead people; those beyond the 70 years are safe. But still annoying, to be honest. I very much prefer the copyright/fair use laws of the United States.