Copyright Aid

This is just a fictious example to check my understanding. If I was to find the "never been published before" Magna Carta - addendum. Written approximately 650 years ago. Then even though it's 650 years old, I as the first ever publisher would would have 30 years of copyright assigned to me. Is this...

thanks for your speedy reply.

I know that the "Elvis Estate", which used to be the family but is now owned by a seperate organisation. I understand that they brand items as "official" - what ever that means. But that implies they can't block all things Elvis, even in USA.

If I wanted to write a story, where a kid goes back in time and meets (hangs out) with Elvis Presley. Where the history of the King is written more as a story line from a teenager's point of view. Can I write anything I like? I'm thinking here of the "Elvis Estate" which I understand protects it's E...

I would like clarification of fonts and Kindle books. I read an article discussing fixed fomat kindle books versus reflowable books (the standard). If you use a non-kindle font then for a reflowable ebook you have to also supply the font as well as the book. Whereas with a fixed format book each pag...

Hi AndyJ Yes, I was specifically concerned with my images. Something I hadn't considered before, although it seems obvious now, is that when I take a photo anywhere (Stately home, Museum, Royal Park). The photo's copyright will always be mine. But what I'm allowed to do with that photo is governed b...

I'm guessing that the answer would be "No". But when I think about how big these game reserves are I can't imagine that some entity could have a monopoly on all photographs taken - but I could be wrong. But then if I don't state which game reserve was used, who's to know. One lion sitting under a tr...

Thanks for a great reply - as always. How about the Olympic Rings. I know this is very restricted. So you can't put it on a book say, even with a disclaimer - at least not for long :-) Looking the rings up on awiki, I can see that they were designed in 1912 (well out of copyright - which I know does...

Hi, I'm writing a book and I want to make references to Microsoft, Sony "the Beatles", etc. Firstly is it okay to use these trade marks? Then just add an "R" symbol with the little circle around it. In books that I've seen there's usually a section, somewhere near the front that describes the trade ...

As you may know some authors choose to publish under a pen name. There's no problem with that as far as I know annd there are various reasons why you might want to do this. My question is, is a pen name copyrighted? Or can anybody use it? My example would be - I start to publish books under a pen na...

Another way around this is to hire someone, on Fiverr.com for example, to make a drawing, sketch, magic marker version, using the photo as inspiration. I might be stepping out of line a bit here, but you certainly get a simialr image cheaper. The question is then how different or close the image mus...

I hear the term "Ghost Writer" used a lot, I imagine that this has no bearing on Copyright - copyright laws prevail. I suppose I owned Apple Inc and I went to Fiverr . com to get a new logo designed (I realise I stretching reality a bit). The person I give the commission to, has copyright and is fre...

If you pay for someone to write an article or design a logo. Obviously you have the right to use this finished product anyway you choose. But who owns the copyright? common sense tells me it the copyright owner should be person/organisation that commissions the work. But I appreciate that things are...

Hi AndyJ, In the last section of your post you mention that an old photograph, that has been restored/enhanced in some way, can introduce a new copyright on that new image. I thought that a way around this would be to hirer someone to make a sketch or paint a picture of the photograph. No one could ...

Amazing thanks AndyJ, so quick and a lot of things to ponder. I was just wondering if our politicians and politicians in the world at large, realise what a mess Copyright law is in? And whether, with hindsight, there's any plans to straighten things out? It seems, using my simple analogy, that we ha...

I new to this site and I think I've found a truely helpful site. I want to break into online publishing and copyright law, laws, look like quicksand. I want to write artilces on WW1, which celebrates its centenary next year. My question is WW1 photos. Obviously these must be, or very close to 100 ye...