Getting Permission (Using & Licensing Copyright-Protected Materials Online & Off)

If you’re using copyrighted material, don’t get sued— get permission!

Online or off, before you use some or all of a song, photo, book, or any other work covered by copyright law, you need to get permission. If you don’t, you could end up facing legal action from the rights-holder.

This easy-to-use book shows you how to get the rights you need, with step-by-step instructions and more than 30 forms. Find out when permission is required, who to ask, and when (and how much) you can expect to pay. Getting Permission explains:

• the copyright permission process
• the public domain (“free” content)
• how to figure out who owns a copyright
• website permissions
• the “fair use” rule
• school-related permissions
• license and merchandise agreements (including sample contracts and other forms)
• and much more.

The 8th edition is updated with summaries of recent copyright and fair use cases, as well as dozens of real-life questions from the Dear Rich permissions blog.

Richard Stim is an intellectual property attorney and author of the popular permissions blog, Dear Rich: An Intellectual Property Blog.