References to other media are usually not an infringement, but can they infringe copyright in some rare cases? Can I reproduce short quotations or slightly long phrases (prases around 9-15 words long)? In this case I would be writing a novel and quoting from a video game.
Asked
Active
Viewed 126 times
1 Answers
1
After your edit:
If you want to quote one single short passage from a videogame in a novel, and the videogame is only mentioned in the text of the novel but not on the cover (title, blurb) or in marketing materials (advertising, your website), my understanding is that you should be okay. If the videogame features prominently in your novel or you quote from it frequently or it is mentioned on the cover or in your novel's marketing, I recommend that you get the permission of the copyright holder.
If you want to be safe, consult a lawyer.
Original answer:
A pure reference, i.e. naming a source for some information that you have used, can never be a copyright infringement. But quoting from that source can be, depending on what you quote (e.g. song lyrics cannot usually be quoted without permission), how much of it (e.g. you cannot quote whole works), and for what purpose (e.g. quoting in fiction may be copyright infringement while quoting for the purpose of science usually isn't). You'd have to give an example for a more specific situation, as there are too many possible cases.
Ben
- 19,064
- 1
- 16
- 72