In this video, I’ll guide you through how to get permission to use material owned by others in your own stories, scripts, or other creative content–attribution is not enough! Whether you’re a budding novelist or an established author, this video provides a roadmap to gaining permission.
Hello, Jane Cleland here.
How do I navigate copyright/intellectual property? Well, the regulations are clear: whoever owns the copyright, whoever owns the intellectual property, has the right to tell you whether you may use it or not.
Now, I’m not an attorney, and I’m not giving you legal advice, but here’s what I know: attribution is not enough. You need permission. If you have a literary agent, they’ll be able to help you navigate that process. Some editors will, too. And you can always consult an attorney who specializes in this arena.
I did it once. I wanted to use two lines from a Robert Frost poem—one of my favorite poets. We approached the estate. They wanted to know the context and what I was going to be surrounding it with. They gave permission and charged $200. I was delighted to be able to use those lines from, as I said, one of my very favorite poets.
How about you? Have you ever approached anyone for permission to use their material? Did it work out? Did you run into some roadblocks? I’d love to hear about it—put it in the comment section.
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Thank you!
*Transcripts are software-generated. To report any transcription errors, please use my contact form!
