Are you a nonfiction author? Have you ever wanted to know whether you needed permission or a paid license to use copyrighted material in your work? Would you like to learn more about fair use? If you answered yes to these questions, then read on! This guide is designed for all nonfiction authors—from biographers to science writers, historians to literary critics, memoirists to academics, and beyond— who want to know more about using copyrighted materials.

The guide is designed to empower authors to exercise their right to use source materials to further their research and writing goals by helping them to make confident fair use decisions. The guide will help nonfiction authors who want to do things like:

• Include song lyrics in an academic paper discussing musical trends;
• Quote from a novel to analyze the author’s use of metaphors in a work of literary criticism;
• Incorporate a photograph in an article about the photographer’s use of light and shadow;
• Use a chart in a scientific paper critiquing a researcher’s methodology and findings; or
• Quote from unpublished letters in a memoir.

The guide addresses three common situations faced by nonfiction authors in which fair use may apply: 1) criticizing, discussing, or commenting on copyrighted material; 2) using copyrighted material to support a point made in the author’s work; and 3) using copyrighted material for non-consumptive research. It also addresses the most frequently asked questions about fair use and clears up some common misconceptions about when it might apply.

plus-circle Add Review

comment

Reviews