# Gene Wolfe material request

*The Usenet list — 5 messages, 4 voices, undated*

<https://urth.darkrealm.vip/thread/usenet/1>

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### Brendan Williamson
*undated*

I'm beginning to write and compile a Web page devoted to the work of Gene
 Wolfe, and I've only been able to find three Wolfe-related files on the
 Net. Of course, I'm going to add my own, but if anyone else has any files
 that might be useful, please send 'em over. Thanks.

                                                      -Brendan
 
 Incidentally, what's the copyright situation where book covers are 
 concerned? I'm fairly sure that quoting from book reviews is OK, but
 publishers might get a bit miffed if I scan in whole covers.

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### David E Romm
*undated · in reply to Brendan Williamson*

>  I'm beginning to write and compile a Web page devoted to the work of Gene
>  Wolfe, and I've only been able to find three Wolfe-related files on the
>  Net. Of course, I'm going to add my own, but if anyone else has any files
>  that might be useful, please send 'em over. Thanks.

One of my projects for the next week or so is to finally finish the
Distribution Tape of interviews from the Minneapolis World Fantasy Con
(93?), including Gene Wolfe.  The interview with Wolfe was so good I'm
going to use the whole thing on the second side.

This isn't a web site, but will be added to the list of tapes available,
the current version of which is at
http://nam.ing.com:80/minicon30/shockwave-faq.html

>  Incidentally, what's the copyright situation where book covers are 
>  concerned? I'm fairly sure that quoting from book reviews is OK, but
>  publishers might get a bit miffed if I scan in whole covers.

The 'copyright situation' is that you can't use them.  Unless you get
permission, which is unlikely, but you might as well ask; they might be
looser about electronic reproduction.

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### Chris Croughton
*undated · in reply to Brendan Williamson*

> Incidentally, what's the copyright situation where book covers are
> concerned? I'm fairly sure that quoting from book reviews is OK, but
> publishers might get a bit miffed if I scan in whole covers.

I don't know about the publishers, but the artists certainly would be
'miffed', to say the least.  In short, unless you have their permission
(in writing) to do it, you are on very dangerous ground, and some
artists will certainly sue (and win) over such things.

Contact the publisher, and through them the artist (the publisher may
also have rights in addition to those of the artists).

As far as quoting is concerned, the Berne Convention on copyright (to
which America is signatory) states that quoting a limited section of a
work "for puroses of review" is OK.  However, if you are quoting a whole
book review, the 'work' in question would be that review and the
copyright holder of that (which might be the author or the publisher if
they were under contract) would have their own rights.

Also, you could try asking on rec.arts.sf.written where there are
several people who work for publishers for their opinion, the issue of
Web pages is one that will need to be resolved and there may be
precedents already set which are outside the current legislation.

***********************************************************************
*  chris at keris.demon.co.uk      *                                     *
*  chriscr at cix.compulink.co.uk  *  FIAWOL (Filking Is A Way Of Life)  *

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### P Nielsen Hayden
*undated · in reply to David E Romm*

romm at winternet.com (David E Romm) writes:

>>  Incidentally, what's the copyright situation where book covers are 
>>  concerned? I'm fairly sure that quoting from book reviews is OK, but
>>  publishers might get a bit miffed if I scan in whole covers.

> The 'copyright situation' is that you can't use them.  Unless you get
> permission, which is unlikely, but you might as well ask; they might be
> looser about electronic reproduction.

Actually I wouldn't be so hasty.  Newspapers and magazine frequently
reproduce covers when reviewing books without getting any special
permission.  Our policy regarding Web pages is that while we reserve the
right to withhold permission for any reason, by and large you can reproduce
our covers in some appropriate context (i.e., a page about the author, not
just for decoration) _as long as_ you reproduce the whole front cover, type
and all.  You may not just excerpt the art.

-----
Patrick Nielsen Hayden: pnh at tor.com : opinions mine
http://www.panix.com/~pnh : http://www.tor.com

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### P Nielsen Hayden
*undated · in reply to Chris Croughton*

Chris Croughton <chris at keris.demon.co.uk> writes:

>> Incidentally, what's the copyright situation where book covers are
>> concerned? I'm fairly sure that quoting from book reviews is OK, but
>> publishers might get a bit miffed if I scan in whole covers.

> I don't know about the publishers, but the artists certainly would be
> 'miffed', to say the least.  In short, unless you have their permission
> (in writing) to do it, you are on very dangerous ground, and some
> artists will certainly sue (and win) over such things.

See my other post from today in this thread.  Chris Croughton's remarks
prompt me to add that when we license art for cover purposes, we reserve the
right to use that art in promoting the book as well.  I think most
publishers do.

-----
Patrick Nielsen Hayden: pnh at tor.com : opinions mine
http://www.panix.com/~pnh : http://www.tor.com

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