All Questions
128 questions
0
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1
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73
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When are references a copyright infringement?
References to other media are usually not an infringement, but can they infringe copyright in some rare cases? Can I reproduce short quotations or slightly long phrases (prases around 9-15 words long)?...
user66536
1
vote
1
answer
322
views
Is it legal or illegal to print your fanfiction story into a physical book even if it's just for yourself only and not for profit?
I keep hearing all sorts of answers online about printing your fanfiction story into a physical book. Either it's okay or not okay to do as it is illegal and can break copyright. I can accept that it ...
- 11
0
votes
2
answers
109
views
Is it legal to print out a book in a different language?
Theoretically, let's say I have a friend who speaks in a foreign language and cannot understand English very well. That friend wants to read a popular English book, but they can't read it because they ...
user64012
0
votes
1
answer
178
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, ...
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2
votes
1
answer
114
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 ...
- 505
0
votes
1
answer
91
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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 ...
- 3
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 ...
- 61
2
votes
3
answers
313
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 ...
- 53
0
votes
1
answer
101
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
229
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 ...
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
102
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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 ...
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1
vote
0
answers
116
views
How do Fair Use and Copyright laws apply to allusions in writing?
I'm working on a novel where one of my main characters is young, and supposed to be obsessed with anything under the brand name "Star Wars"(Especially pertaining to the movie.) When talking ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
227
views
Writing a story based on parts of greek mythology
I'd like to write a story that uses bits and pieces from the myth about Ambrogio. Can I do that legally? I have my own version of this so-called myth and don't want to get myself in trouble if I use ...
- 11
2
votes
1
answer
525
views
How do you posthumously credit the authors of public domain content in your adaptation?
My question concerns the author Ben H. Winters who has recently published several books with himself listed as Jane Austen’s co-author. Sense and Sensibilities and Sea Monsters is one such novel ...
- 1,122
0
votes
1
answer
41
views
Should you include all documents when you send a script to the writer's guild for copyright protection?
If you're writing a movie script and you want to protect that script as a copyright, should you send other documents along with it, or is the movie script more than enough? I am thinking whether other ...
user36239
3
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What are the fair use rules in the USA for short quotes from books or song lyrics in a novel?
What are the fair use rules in the USA for short quotes from books or song lyrics in a novel when they are explicitly quoted and attributed to their source? I'm looking at self-published work (...
- 469
2
votes
1
answer
146
views
What are the copyright laws on writing books about living artists?
I was wondering if I wanted to write, illustrate, and publish children's books that is about an artist and their life (their journey as a child to an adult but in a simple whimsical childlike story), ...
- 21
1
vote
1
answer
184
views
Is magical factions story too similar to Harry Potter?
I have and idea for a story where everybody has magical potential and at a certain age they must choose a style of magic of where they will base their learning from. Is this too similar to Harry ...
0
votes
1
answer
152
views
Non-Fiction References/Copyright
I’m writing a non-fiction book and I want to use authors and books as supporting references.
Does anyone know if this sample below represents a copyright infringement?
Copyright is a legal protection....
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2
votes
3
answers
134
views
When is it better to use a real life versus a generic fast food company name when talking about a regional chain?
So, I know that questions regarding the usage of real-life company names has been brought up before, but this is a really weird example that I've run into that doesn't seem covered by the previous ...
- 4,664
4
votes
5
answers
631
views
Am I able to freely borrow or reference real people, places or things without fear of legal persecution?
I'm currently writing my first novel and I can't figure out whether I am able to reference an abundance of different people, places, and/or things.
I've had this idea of wanting to sneak in a sizable ...
- 441
0
votes
2
answers
285
views
Is it a copyright infringement if I include a magical newspaper with moving pictures in my novel? [duplicate]
I want to add a magical newspaper in my novel. In the newspaper, all the images are moving, like the newspapers in Harry Potter.
Is it copyright infringement for me to include a newspaper with moving ...
- 13
14
votes
2
answers
4k
views
How can I know that I'm not plagiarizing?
New to the web. I just recently started to write again. I won a few highschool prizes writing short stories. Around the same time, I began to play Roleplaying games and to write different stories for ...
- 251
0
votes
2
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189
views
Has the idea for my story already been taken?
I want to write a story about a place called Kingdom Come, where you can come in but you cannot go (i.e. you are not allowed to leave). Has this idea already been taken? It really sounds like the sort ...
- 21
1
vote
2
answers
231
views
Use of real company name in fiction: generic, common names
I read the very helpful discussion of using brand/company names in fiction (Use of real organization in fiction) and have read other resources on the internet but have not been able to find one ...
- 19
1
vote
0
answers
98
views
Searching for an author with unpublished fantasy writing for my mobile game [closed]
I would be extremely grateful for any advice on how to search for or reach an agreement with an author. I'm a solo indie game developer, unreleased. My game is a fantasy random gacha hero collector. ...
6
votes
4
answers
206
views
Can I reference events of a different fictional work in my fictional work?
Let's say I'm working on a fantasy series called MyWork, that is set in the present in a small town in the US. I have a fantasy series that I take inspiration from, InspirationWork, that is set in the ...
- 71
0
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Is it illegal if I use religious material in my novel?
I have a serious problem. I am going to start writing a novel which includes a character called Ravana, from the Hindu literary text called the Ramayana.
Now, if I were to publish this, would it be ...
6
votes
2
answers
538
views
Owning comic book characters
I am currently writing an ongoing comic series, along with a co-author. Some of the characters in the book were created by me, some by the co-author, and some by third parties. All characters in ...
- 761
3
votes
1
answer
384
views
How do I copyright my own series?
I'm looking to trademark my own work and I want to know how. Everything I found online is exclusively about trademarks for COMPANIES and PRODUCTS, but not intellectual property like a manga series or ...
6
votes
3
answers
639
views
Is it ok if some of my city names are the same as the ones in other books/series/video games/ pieces of work?
My book has a few place names that are also present in other pieces of media, for example, one of my cities is called "Manalin" and I just found out that there is a planet in Star Wars also called ...
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23
votes
6
answers
8k
views
Can someone publish a story that happened to you?
Can someone take a story that happened to you, without your knowledge, and publish it? Using your name and specifics, and take the copyright for it?
A person, whose mother lived in our small town, ...
- 231
6
votes
2
answers
715
views
Do I have to pay royalties if I include excerpts from other works?
In a lot of books, at the beginning, the authors include quotes from poetry or songs that are relevant to the theme of their story or to their characters' situations. Obviously I would have to ask ...
user34214
6
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Usage of an old photo with expired copyright
I would like to use an old photo/postcard (example 1, example 2) for a non-commercial poster. The poster is for a school assignment. The photo would illustrate a map and text about the history of the ...
- 163
2
votes
3
answers
131
views
Writing a Novel based on a Self-help Guide Book
I just want to be clear on this before I do any sort of writing with regards to the subject.
So I have an idea for a novel that shows a person trying to obtain his objectives using the lessons and ...
4
votes
4
answers
191
views
Is it a good idea to post a story in a fanfiction website, and then seek to have it published later on?
Is there any complication that can ensue when you seek to have a story you've published in a free domain website, and then have it published through a conventional publisher? What if I were to modify ...
user36239
7
votes
1
answer
210
views
What can we do to make sure that our novels are in the public domain as soon as we die?
I heard that the amount of time required for a work to be in the public domain has been extended. If you want your novels to be in the public domain as soon as you die, how do you do that? And can the ...
user36239
2
votes
2
answers
147
views
When can characters be reused? [duplicate]
Can one legally include a reference to, or an appearance of, a character from an existing work of fiction? How much of that character can be used? What makes this permitted or forbidden under US law?
...
- 4,335
15
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Borrowing Characters
Would it be a violation of copyright and/or plagiarism to “borrow” a character from another novel?
For example, I have a short story and want to include as a side character Ender (of Ender’s Game). I ...
- 251
9
votes
5
answers
2k
views
When does inspiration across artforms become plagiarism
eSpoilers for Green Book in the E.g. section
I listen to a lot of music, and when I come up with stories, I often use songs as a source of inspiration.
However, what I was wondering is are songs ...
- 191
3
votes
2
answers
525
views
Song quote for an 'in memoriam'
I would like to quote a few lines of a lyric from St. Vincent's song "New York", for an 'in memoriam' I want to put in a newspaper on the anniversary day of my friend's death. Do I need to get ...
- 31
0
votes
2
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147
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I am an author that wrote a biography on a singer. Do I need to get permission to turn the book into a screenplay?
I am an author who wrote a biography on a singer. I want to turn the book into a screenplay. Do I have to get permission from the singer to do this?
8
votes
3
answers
730
views
Approach to pop culture quotes in fiction writing
I am contemplating writing a fictional character [nerd] who speaks in a pop culture references. I appreciate this question somewhat overlaps
Referencing modern pop culture in science fiction
The ...
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6
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is my book legal? Is my story too similiar to Harry Potter
I have been creating a story in my mind from early childhood. Now, I am very talented in writing, so I decided to give it a try one day. It was awesome! The book I imagine in my head was being written,...
4
votes
2
answers
777
views
Can I publish a book based on the Library of Babel?
So I want to write a fictional book based on Borges' Library of Babel idea. The only thing I would preserve is the setting.
However, I am unsure of the legality of it. Is the setting copyrightable? ...
- 143
1
vote
1
answer
134
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Universe similar to Transformers
I have in mind a story that would be about a transforming robots like Transformers, but with slightly different origins of their creation and what they're really are.
I'm a bit afraid of using ...
- 113
2
votes
3
answers
509
views
At what point is permission needed to reference meta-characters and works in my own?
In this question it is mentioned that you can't use a character from another novel in your own novel.
But if characters in my book talk about fictional characters in other books, that seems to be ok. ...
- 121
1
vote
1
answer
135
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Is permission needed to use a fictitious character from another novel in my story as a point of reference?
I am writing a novel and I would like to introduce characters from other published works as time travelers. Is this a bad idea or even legal? Copyright infringement comes to mind... Is there a legal ...
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5
votes
2
answers
140
views
In a business novel can characters read real books?
I’m considering writing a piece of business fiction to discuss some agile and testing principles. Given the wide number of books in this area it seems most appropriate to have characters discover the ...
- 1,900
5
votes
1
answer
277
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What is the best way to copyright my manuscript?
I wanted to ask what is fastest and safest way to register a manuscript? There are a lot of Websites that offer registering books. I'm really confused and don't know which one to trust, besides ...
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