What is Copyright law of introducing websites in a book about the Internet?

[vahid]

I am writing a book about the Internet,
I asked from all websites for getting permission of using their screenshots in my book,
But some of websites I want just write about their services and linking to them without any screenshot of their homepage,
So my first question is what is copyright law for writing about a website in a book?
Should I get permission from the admin or not?

Another question is about translating some facts from knowledge base of Google for instance,
I want to translate some facts from Google knowledge base and giving a link to them as reference,
Should I get permission from Google or its legal to use some knowledge base and give a reference to their source?
Thanks

 

[quincy]

I am writing a book about the Internet,
I asked from all websites for getting permission of using their screenshots in my book,
But some of websites I want just write about their services and linking to them without any screenshot of their homepage,
So my first question is what is copyright law for writing about a website in a book?
Should I get permission from the admin or not?

Another question is about translating some facts from knowledge base of Google for instance,
I want to translate some facts from Google knowledge base and giving a link to them as reference,
Should I get permission from Google or its legal to use some knowledge base and give a reference to their source?
Thanks

From what U.S. state are you posting, vahid, or, if not in the U.S., from what country are you posting?

You are smart to get permission from the websites that you intend to write about in your book, especially if you want to use material from the sites in the book.

Facts are not copyrightable (although some facts may need to be attributed).

 

[vahid]

I am from Iran, The book language is Persian But it will publish in global,
I want to know more about copyright law when I introduce a website and link to it in my book,
I asked for getting permission for those websites that I want to use their screenshots, But what about tons of websites that I just want to introduce them and link to them without screenshot?
Should I give permission for introducing a website and linking to it in a book?!

 

[quincy]

I am from Iran, The book language is Persian But it will publish in global,
I want to know more about copyright law when I write about a website and link to it in my book,
Should I give permission for writing about a website and linking to it?!

I am sorry, vahid, but this forum handles U.S. law questions only.

You can go to the following World Intellectual Property Organization website for a pdf file on copyright laws in Iran: http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/details.jsp?id=7708

It will be your country's laws that will be considered, should any book you create give rise to a lawsuit. I suggest you locate a publishing law professional in your area to either help you with your book as you are writing it, or to review the book before you publish it, to ensure as much as possible that the proper permissions have been obtained and that there are no other areas of concern that require editing.

Good luck.

 

[Zigner]

I am from Iran, The book language is Persian But it will publish in global,
I want to know more about copyright law when I introduce a website and link to it in my book,
I asked for getting permission for those websites that I want to use their screenshots, But what about tons of websites that I just want to introduce them and link to them without screenshot?
Should I give permission for introducing a website and linking to it in a book?!

Vahid -

I can guarantee you that Iranian law is vastly different from US law on this matter. You will want to seek guidance from local legal counsel. Good luck with your book.

 

[quincy]

Vahid -

I can guarantee you that Iranian law is vastly different from US law on this matter. You will want to seek guidance from local legal counsel. Good luck with your book.

Yes. Copyright infringement is not often criminal in the U.S. and is not often punishable by prison terms except in extreme cases.

Having legal counsel in some countries can be more vital than it may be in others.

 

[vahid]

I am sorry, vahid, but this forum handles U.S. law questions only.

Thanks for your reply,
As I wrote in my second post, The book will be published globally!
I want to find a good publisher in USA.
That's why I want to know more about copyright law in USA and other countries.
What happen when I introduce a website and link to it in a book without permission?!
Is it legal or illegal?

 

[quincy]

Thanks for your reply,
As I told You at first post, The book will be published globally!
I want to find a good publisher in USA.
That's why I want to know more about copyright law in USA and other countries.
What happen when I introduce a website and link to it in a book without permission?!
Is it legal or illegal?

Laws in the U.S. are fact-specific. In the U.S., it will often take a court's review of the facts of each individual case to determine whether a use of copyrighted material is infringement or not. A court will be asked to decide the matter if any holder of a copyright takes exception to the unauthorized use of his/her material and files suit against the unauthorized user.

So, I cannot really tell you if your introduction of a website and a link to the website in your book, without permission from the website owner/copyright holder, will result in a lawsuit that you could lose. But I can tell you that the best way to avoid any legal entanglements with a copyright holder is to get permission from the copyright holder in advance of using any rights-protected material.

For a complete look at U.S. copyright laws, you can visit the official U.S. Copyright Office website through the following link: http://www.copyright.gov

The WIPO link I provided earlier provides you with access to copyright laws in other countries.

But it is important to note that, even if you have a U.S. publisher for your book, if you are the author of the book and you reside in Iran, and a lawsuit arises over the content of your book, any suit filed against you will be filed against you in Iran. Any lawsuit will be heard in an Iranian court. And it will be under Iranian laws, not U.S. laws, that any suit filed against you will be decided.

That is why you need to refer to the laws in your country when you are writing your book. If your book does not violate the copyright laws of your country (which, to emphasize what Zigner said earlier, are MUCH different than the copyright laws here), then anyone suing you will have a harder time winning a legal action against you.

With all of that said, you should still have a publishing law professional in your area review your book idea and drafts to check for legally problematic areas. I recommend you have a final professional review of your completed manuscript prior to publication. If you are planning to have your book published through a large U.S. publishing house, this will be done as a matter of course.

Acquiring permission from all copyright holders whose material you intend to include in your book, and having your book's content reviewed and edited properly prior to publication, are the best ways to avoid a lawsuit.

Good luck, vahid.

 

[vahid]

Thanks for your great help.

 

[quincy]

You're welcome, vahid. Good luck with your book.