My state is Texas.
I could be wrong, but, as far as the trademark goes I don’t think I will be using it. I just want to display text from the manual. Not the manual itself. The text would be typed verbatim.
What do you mean by you don't
think you will be using the GM trademark? You don't know what text you are using yet, or what is contained in the manual?
The thing with manuals is that much of the material written in the manual can be used in subsequent manuals, and the copyright in the material preserved in that way. The text that you intend to use, in other words, could appear in a GM manual now and be rights-protected. The
facts can be lifted from the text, as facts are not copyrightable, but the way these facts are presented could very well still have some rights attached.
For those reasons, and others, I suggest you refer back to Zigner's post #2 and seek information from GM (or the publisher) on who, if anyone, owns rights to any original or creative text in the manual. Then discuss your intended use of the material either with the owner of the rights, or a professional in your area, to determine if your use can give rise to a lawsuit you could lose.
Again, what is also important is the PURPOSE of your use and how it can (if it can) be tied to GM, this if there are no lingering
copyrights in the material or any use of the GM trademark on your website.
Good luck.