Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Whether you're a musician, writer, or collage artist, at some point you'll run into the problem of copyright. Nolo Press has come to the rescue with Getting Permission, by intellectual property attorney Richard Stim, providing everything you need, from information about the proper permit and how to get it is inside to ready-to-use forms and links to information resources online and off-. Even if you've never looked into the sometimes-murky world of copyright law, you'll be up to speed on concepts such as public domain and fair use just after browsing the first chapter. Additional material on tracking down copyright owners, writing permission letters, and tracking permits makes your job simple, especially if you plan to use many different materials. Specific chapters cover music rights, artwork, trademarks, Web site permissions, academic permissions, and the nitty-gritty on fair use. Stim writes clearly and forcefully and isn't afraid to acknowledge that some aspects of his subject are still unclear. Advising caution in these legal frontiers, he still sticks with Nolo's empowerment theme by helping you keep up with the latest trends from home. The book comes with a PC floppy disk containing computer-ready forms in ASCII and rich text formats--a marvelous aid to the wired artist. If you want to use someone else's work legally but don't want to consult with an attorney, sample the power of DIY with Nolo Press's Getting Permission. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
Whether creating a web site, an anthology, or materials for a class, artists and educators of every stripe need to copy right. No, this doesn't mean pulling an all-nighter at Copy Hut. People who plan to use any copyrighted material for their own purposes need to get permission first from the owners of that work. If they don't, they could find themselves face to face with a lawsuit. Getting Permission, written by intellectual property expert Attorney Rich Stim, tackles the permissions process head on, explaining when authorization for the use of copyrighted materials is needed. It shines the light on who to ask for permission, as well as when--and how much--to expect to pay for permission. Comprehensive and easy to read, the book covers: * the permissions process--including authorization to use text, photographs, artwork and music * the public domain * copyright research * fair use * academic permissions * the elements of a license and merchandise agreement * the use of a trademark or fictional character * and much more. This cutting-edge book, the only one on the market to cover web site permission, includes agreements for acquiring authorization to use text, photographs, artwork and music. It also provides information for web site owners, such as hyper-linking agreements and Internet research suggestions. A must for the new millennium, Getting Permission will help readers obtain rights, permissions and clearance--and stay out of legal hot water. All agreements included as tear-outs and on disk.
Customer Reviews:
Review #1: The Shortest Path to Understanding Copyright Issues
2006-05-12 
If you'd rather spend most of your time on your creative work rather than wade through the government's articles and circulars on copyright issues, I can't recommend this book enough. Getting Permission not only addresses common misunderstandings about copyright issues, but it provides clear instructions for getting permission if in fact you need to. Before I purchased this book, I was under the impression that you always had to request permission, but that isn't the case. This is one of the most valuable references you can own if the topic of copyright seems overwhelming, and I highly recommend that you read it before creating your masterpiece.
Review #2: Excellent practical advice
2004-07-25
I can't add much to the other reviews for this book, but I would like to add my two cents...
This book does an excellent job of describing when permission is necessary for copyright and trademark issues, and give sample agreements to obtain the necessary consents. The book is very clearly and intelligently written and gives readers a very good sense of when permissions are necessary from a legal perspective or highly advisable from a practical point of view (very different issues).
Review #3: One-of-a-Kind Information
2004-04-12
So many other books talk about how to protect your own intellectual property, or how you can get into trouble if you use someone else's material. This is the ONLY book I've found that tells you how to go about using someone else's material legally. Its step-by-step approach makes it very straightforward, and eliminates the mystery about what to do and what to expect. This has helped me obtain a merchandise license agreement to print and market posters of an author/artist I admire and enjoy. I would NOT have known where to start without this book (or finding a high-priced copyright attorney). I still use an attorney, but just to review a contract which I already understand on my own. Where else could you find this information? Simply Great!
Review #4: Excellent Advice & Guidance!
2003-04-02
If you want to use copyrighted material for your own purposes, you need to get permission from the owners first. If you don't, you could find yourself stuck in a costly lawsuit. This book, Getting Permission, shows you how to get through the permissions process. This guide is very readable and will give you a basic introduction to the permissions process, the public domain or free stuff, how to figure out and find someone who owns a copyright, what constitutes fair use, how to get academic permissions, license and merchandise agreements, what a trademark is and how to use them, how to use a fictional character, website permissions, as well as forms and a CD rom. The book covers information on music, photos, text, characters, and much more. Nolo also gives helpful suggestions as to where to go for more information on a specific topic. I found that this guide was a great introduction to getting permission for just about anything. This book will be a wonderful resource guide for years because the information contained therein is easy to understand and reliable.
Review #5: Important if you publish on paper or run a web site
2002-05-12
Regardless of whether you use the Internet or do traditional publishing work, you need to know how to get permission to use the work of others. On the Internet this increasingly important in view of the issues surrounding deep linking and related challenges in a world where a simple HTML tag to someone else's work can bring legal problems. This book provides expert guidance that covers how to obtain permission, copyright research, what constitutes fair use, and how to legally use trademarks. The book also clarifies the definition of "public domain" and what needs to be in a license agreement. What makes this book especially valuable is that it comes with 32 forms that range from standard photo use and test use permission to linking agreements, interview releases, art for hire and more. |
