Using other peoples ideas

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I wanted to clear up some issues regarding using other peoples ideas or content and the legal aspect of this.

1. If I wanted to write a book or article that uses someone else's idea or theory, am I allowed to do this? For example, Goldratt invented a management theory called "The Theory of Constraints". He has written multiple books on the subject. Am I allowed to also write a book on the subject or do I need the inventors permission? What are the rules regarding this type of thing?

2. What happens if I want to use an extract of someone's article or book for a book or website content...do I just provide a link to the source of the article? How much can you quote?

Thanks,

Jon
#main internet marketing discussion forum #ideas #peoples
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  • I want to get some opinions on it. People may have already sought this type of advice or it might be very common knowledge.

    Journalists are forever quoting stuff, for example.
  • Here ya go, Jon -- straight from the boss:

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...vice-here.html

    Cheers,
    Becky
    • [1] reply
    • I am not looking for definitive legal advice from here. But you can start out finding out the viability of things from forums. Why spend money on a lawyer without doing a bit of research first?
  • Write about any subject you want and if anyone gives you any crap... I will defend you .

    PS: You will need to post my bail before I can help you .

    PPS: There are certain parts of Georgia that Judges do not respect my views (or my presence for that matter)
  • If you go to the US Copyright Office you'll learn that ideas can't be copyrighted. While that answers your question, it leaves out a great many considerations.

    While ideas can't be copyrighted, methods can be. Systems can be. Presentations can be. Many other things can be copyrighted that are outside the scope of your question but still directly pertain to it. You are asking for amateur opinions based on an isolated topic, but that topic cannot be legally separated from a whole lot of side issues.

    If you take the "ideas can't be copyrighted" fact and run with it, you can still run afoul of the law because the law will not view that issue in isolation.

    Jon, what you're really asking for here is trouble. Not even an attorney can give you definitive legal advice without knowing exactly what you want to do - and depending on what you say, many may be hesitant to offer legal advise without seeing your finished work.

    You're not going to get the answers you seek here, although you may get the answer you want to hear. Think about it.
  • Interesting point about ideas can't be copyrighted, which adds to my knowledge by using this forum.

    But let me make a point about using forums for eliciting such information as this...

    Could it not be that large numbers of forum posts are breaking copyright law? What happens if you accidentally write something that is actually a direct quotation from copyrighted material elsewhere, but you were unaware? Or you are presenting material in such a way that it is similar to other copyrighted material?
    • [1] reply

    • Unless it's written by an authority figure, no one gives a damn about what's written in forum posts.
  • Useful summary found here: P-01: UK Copyright Law fact sheet
  • From my knowledge you can paraphrase something and copyright if 20% of content is yours and original.

    When including other's work (as full articles) always get written permission from the author/publisher. Apart from legal issues, it looks professional.


    Disclaimer: I'm not an expert and you can't sue me based on what I write in my posts.
  • Ideas can not be copy-righted, the words that describe an idea can be protected though.
    • [1] reply
    • Erroneous statements like this are why everyone is stressing to speak to a lawyer.

      Tina
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    Using other peoples ideas

    I wanted to clear up some issues regarding using other peoples ideas or content and the legal aspect of this. 1. If I wanted to write a book or article that uses someone else's idea or theory, am I allowed to do this? For example, Goldratt invented a management theory called "The Theory of Constraints". He has written multiple books on the subject. Am I allowed to also write a book on the subject or do I need the inventors permission? What are the rules regarding this type of thing?