Legal Question in Intellectual Property in West Virginia
I am writing a book and want to use (with citations) quotes to support my points. The sources include newspapers, journals, books, and Internet pages.
Must written permission be obtained?
Thank you.
1 Answer from Attorneys
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Yours is the question of the ages: "What Is Fair Use?"
Whether or not you must get written permission to use the quotes depends on a number of factors, but you can pretty much count on being able to use a small (a couple of sentences) portion of the previously published work without having to get the permission of the rightsholder. If you use a larger portion of the work, especially for the shorter works, you would play it safe by getting the rightsholder's written permission to use the quoted material.