Q: I want to print short quotes from feature films on my products as decoration. I have read conflicting information as to whether this breeches the screenplay's copyright, as a short quote is treated differently from the whole text. Also I'd like to look in to using images from films in the same way but don't know where to start in terms of seeking/buying permission - can you help?
Jan 23 2007
Answered by: Marc Barber Ask a question
All images and quotes from movies are copyright and you must obtain permission to use them. This excludes older movies that have fallen into the public domain. A movie falls into the public domain if the copyright has not been renewed once it has expired. How long it takes before expiry depends on what the law stated at the time it was made.
You might find this chart from Cornell University useful - Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the USA.
Short quotes (less than 10 percent of the work) can be used under ‘Fair Use’ by teachers and students for educational purposes or by critics, for news reporting or for comment, but this does not apply to commercial use.
This page on fair use from The UK Copyright Service should be of use. the site also has good information on UK copyright law, The Berne Convention, duration of copyright, understanding fair use, using the work of others and derivative works
Copyright can get very complicated. To find out who owns the copyright to various materials, and how to contact them, try the Copyright Clearance Center.
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