Legal Question in Intellectual Property in Minnesota
Can people narrate another persons/companies article and then post on the web? What are the copyright protections/implications of this original written article?
To what extent is this general use? and/or at what point is it copyright infringement? If not full article narrated is it fine etc.?
Thanks
1 Answer from Attorneys
If the original article is protected by copyright, then public performance of it without a license (written permission) from the copyright-owner would be copyright infringement. You are permitted to quote small portions of an article for the purpose of commenting on it. This is called "fair use." Unfortunately, there are no bright-line tests for determining how much quoting is permitted. The clearer it is that portions of the article are being quoted solely for the purpose of commenting on, or responding to things said in the article, the more likely it is to be fair use.