What are the legal limits when using foreign texts?
February 21, 2022 | 50,00 EUR | answered by Isabel Tressel
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am reaching out to you as a blogger who regularly quotes from other texts and is concerned about the legal boundaries when using external texts. Currently, I often refer to articles by other authors to support and complement my own content.
As it stands, I have not obtained any permissions and have not provided any sources or links to the original texts. I am aware that this could be legally problematic and would like to know how to properly conduct myself to avoid copyright infringement.
My concern is that I may face legal consequences if I continue to use external texts without permission. Therefore, I am interested in knowing what options are available to ensure that I adhere to the legal boundaries when using external texts. Are there specific rules for citing texts or is prior approval from the authors necessary?
I thank you in advance for your support and look forward to your professional advice on this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Lorenzo Bergner
Dear Mr. Bergner,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding copyright and citing external texts as a blogger. It is very commendable that you are considering the legal boundaries when using external texts and want to ensure that you do not commit copyright infringement.
In general, citing external texts within the framework of copyright is allowed as long as certain conditions are met. It is important to properly attribute the sources and clearly mark the quotes as such. However, using longer text passages or entire articles without obtaining permission typically constitutes a copyright violation.
To ensure that you comply with the legal boundaries when citing external texts, I recommend the following approach:
1. Source citations: Always indicate the source from which you are quoting the text. This can be done, for example, by referencing the author, the article title, and the publication date.
2. Marking quotes: Clearly mark quotes as such by enclosing them in quotation marks or using a different formatting.
3. Extent of quotes: Avoid quoting longer text passages or entire articles without permission. Adhere to the rule that quotes may only be used in a reasonable extent.
4. Obtaining permissions: If you wish to use longer text passages or entire articles, I recommend obtaining permission from the copyright holder beforehand. This way, you can ensure that you do not commit copyright infringement.
It is important to note that copyright laws also apply on the internet, and violations of copyright can have legal consequences. Therefore, it is advisable to adhere to the rules mentioned above to avoid legal issues.
I hope this information is helpful to you and answers your question. If you need further assistance or wish to discuss specific case examples, I am available for a consultation in my online office hours.
Best regards,
Isabel Tressel
Media Law Attorney
