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Subject:Fair Use and attribution From:Michele Marques <mmarques -at- CMS400 -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 14 Apr 1999 17:12:59 -0400
In regards to the discussion about quoting the dictionary definition,
someone (I forgot who, and don't want to assign blame) mentioned
that he thought that "fair use" meant that you could use brief
quotes without attribution.
"Fair use" means that you can use the quote without requesting
permission from the copyright owner. I believe that you are still
required to correctly attribute the source. If you are using more
than a paragraph or two of direct quotation (this amount may differ
on the context of use of the quote and the percentage of original
material that is quoted), I believe that you are required to request
permission from the copyright owner (often, but not always, the
author). This person (or corporation) may grant or deny your
request for permission. The copyright owner could require a
"permission fee" for you to use the material; this fee may seem
reasonable or outlandish to you; it might be a flat rate, or it might
be based on a per use basis.