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Reprinting Published Material

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VinceA

Member
I'm currently writing a math book that uses questions previously released by CollegeBoard, the company that makes the SAT exams taken by millions of students each year for college admission. Am I allowed to reprint the questions from their practice tests, so long as I provide the source? These questions appear all over the internet. I only want to use certain questions from their practice tests to illustrate my methods of solutions.
 


quincy

Senior Member
What is the name of your state or, if not in the US, what is the name of your country?

Facts can be reproduced. Expression of those facts can be copyright-protected, regardless of how many others have ignored the copyrights in the material.
 

VinceA

Member
I live in New York. Ok, then what you're saying is that they can deny anyone reprinting questions they released thousands of times before, all over the internet. They don't need any basis, or proof of damage? Can I request permission from them?
 

quincy

Senior Member
I live in New York. Ok, then what you're saying is that they can deny anyone reprinting questions they released thousands of times before, all over the internet. They don't need any basis, or proof of damage? Can I request permission from them?
Yes, to all of your questions.

You can create your own questions based on the content of the exams but the way the content is presented is copyright-protected.

Attributing the source of the material will not protect you from an infringement lawsuit.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
I'm currently writing a math book that uses questions previously released by CollegeBoard, the company that makes the SAT exams taken by millions of students each year for college admission. Am I allowed to reprint the questions from their practice tests, so long as I provide the source? These questions appear all over the internet. I only want to use certain questions from their practice tests to illustrate my methods of solutions.
Is there a reason that you can't come up with your own questions that show the same thing as theirs without copying theirs?

For example: Their question is "Billy has 5 apples that he cuts in half, then throws 3 halves in to the trash. How many apples does Billy have remaining?" and your question "Sarah has 7 oranges that she cuts in half. She then eats 5 halves. How many oranges does Sarah have remaining?" Both questions touch on the same concept(s), but are not the same.
 

quincy

Senior Member
It is important to emphasize that, just because material appears “all over the internet,” this does not mean that the material is in the public domain and free for anyone to use without authorization. In fact, the odds are better that what you see online is copyright-protected.

There generally is a copyright holder somewhere that you need to seek out for permission to use their rights-protected material. This permission generally is granted by a copyright holder in the form of a limited license. There generally will be a cost involved.
 

adjusterjack

Senior Member
If a train leaves NY going to Chicago at 70 mph and a train leaves Chicago going to NY at 80 mph, where does the head on collision occur?
 

quincy

Senior Member
Incorrect answers, as a note, potentially can be copyright-protected. Correct answers to math problems cannot be copyright-protected. A correct answer would be fact.
 
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Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Incorrect answers, as a note, potentially can be copyright-protected. Correct answers to math problems cannot be copyright-protected. A correct answer would be fact.
Thanks - I edited my post to reflect this.
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
If a train leaves NY going to Chicago at 70 mph and a train leaves Chicago going to NY at 80 mph, where does the head on collision occur?
Sacramento?




Answer brought to you by Lynn Public School System: Why educate when there are so many minimum wage job's to be filled?
 

quincy

Senior Member
Haha. I noticed the addition to your post of the copyright “bug.”

Although copyrights are automatic when you create new and original material so a copyright notice is not required, providing the notice of your copyright can help prevent your work from being infringed.

To respect your rights, I have removed my quote (copy) of your answer from my previous post. :)
 

FlyingRon

Senior Member
Incorrect answers, as a note, potentially can be copyright-protected. Correct answers to math problems cannot be copyright-protected. A correct answer would be fact.
The correct result is a fact. The expository text explaining why that is the correct answer is very much copyrightable creative expression.
 
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