Getting Permission

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.