Copyright Law And Summarizing Books

[ZekeLL]

Hi guys, a quick question:

If I read a business book, wrote a summary (10 pages, featuring the most important content), and sold it, would that break copyright laws?

I love reading business books and I know some busy people who would love to read the same books but they just don't have the time. I figured I could help them, have fun and make some money. But I am not sure if this would be legal or not.

I know that some books quote other books and that's OK, but this is probably different, since the whole report would be base on someone else's book.

I'd appreciate your help!

And please, post only if you know the answer to this question, I don't really need guesses. Thanks!

[4eyedbuzzard]

If you aren't quoting large sections of the work but merely summarizing and essentially selling a book report you are not breaking copyright law. Copyright protects the original expression, not the subject matter itself. I can read a business book and use that information to write my own business book, provided I don't plagiarize the original. A book that consisted almost entirely of quoted passages from another work even if attributed would likely be a violation.

[Mr. Knowitall]

You can't copyright ideas, but that doesn't mean you are not able to copyright the manner in which you sythesize and present your ideas. Here we're not talking about new books build on existing ideas, but the summarization of somebody else's actual book. Presumably also that would be the hook - people would buy your work not because it was original, but because it was not.

[ZekeLL]

You can't copyright ideas, but that doesn't mean you are not able to copyright the manner in which you sythesize and present your ideas. Here we're not talking about new books build on existing ideas, but the summarization of somebody else's actual book. Presumably also that would be the hook - people would buy your work not because it was original, but because it was not.

Right, what I am asking is this: Jim Collins wrote "Good to Great". If I write a summary called "Good to Great: The Summary", would that be legal or not?

I ask this because from my point of view, I would be profiting from somebody else's work, but since I am not a lawyer, I don't want to miss a chance based on a guess.

Thank you for your help!

[4eyedbuzzard]

Right, what I am asking is this: Jim Collins wrote "Good to Great". If I write a summary called "Good to Great: The Summary", would that be legal or not?

I ask this because from my point of view, I would be profiting from somebody else's work, but since I am not a lawyer, I don't want to miss a chance based on a guess.

Thank you for your help!

The title would be okay, as titles do not enjoy copyright protection, no matter how clever, unique, or identifiable they are. I could write a book entitled XXX for Dummies, or Chicken soup for the XXX soul tomorrow and not violate copyright law. It is the "original literary, musical, pictorial, or graphic expression" of the content that is protected. That's where you might well run into problems. Again, it all depends how you write the summary. With a non-fiction work facts aren't copyrightable, so you are almost always into the original expression argument. There isn't any black and white law once you get into issues of how much or how little original expression exists.

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ34.html

[elegic]

I'm also interested in this topic. I want to create and sell a summary of a book. Here's an example of how I would create this summary:

Say the book contained the following paragraph:

"There are certainly a variety of interesting options available to the amateur musician seeking to make some money on the side. He can perform in clubs, maybe compose original works, and even give sidewalk concerts. This is the real joy of being an amateur musician. The lack of professional responsibility enables one to pursue any avenue of musical expression with only little concern given to financial reward."

My summary would be:

"The amatuer musician can make money by performing in clubs, composing original works, or giving sidewalk concerts."


Any copyright issues?