I have unsolved questions about copyright, where can i get clear answers?

[Ein Buch in 7 Minuten]

I am german so i dont really know where is the best place to search for a lawyer who can answer my questions.
I tried tons of different forums but i just cant get the answers i need. I dont want to risk putting time and effort into something that will get me sued later.

Do you know any forum/website where i can get clear answers about copyright questions? I would be willing to pay for it.

 

[Farley Productions]

I'm sure copyright law changes slightly between countries. But your country should have their own copyright website that gives the details of what you can and can't do. Granted they are all pretty much the same. For example, reviews/criticism of work falls under Fair Use. As long as you are not overusing the material when you are explaining what you're talking about.

Making a movie the law changes quite drastically. If I had a bottle of coke in my hand but did not have a license for coke then I could get in a lot of trouble. But if the coke is in a glass and does not show the label then I'm in the clear.

copyright(.)gov is a site I go to to check up on copyright law. Take out the parentheses of course. And it's completely free to use. =]

 

[Ein Buch in 7 Minuten]

Thank you. I will look at copyright.gov, because my concern is mainly about american copyright.
Since you make films, maybe you know the answers to 2 questions:

1. Am i allowed to quote living people for my animated book summaries? Like Elon Musk.
2. Am i allowed to copy "calculations" (showing the same numbers in my own text style). For example when i review a book that is about calculating wheter a real estate is profitable or not. Can i take the same numbers and captions (what the numbers mean). If not, am i safe when i slightly change the numbers?

 

[The NotARubicon!]

Never trust online forum advice for anything that actually matters; ie; if that advice is wrong, and you could get sued or lose your Youtube account, don't rely on it. There are just too many people (or children at this particular forum) that have no clue what they are saying and love spouting nonsense as if it were fact.
I would 2nd @Farley Productions suggestion on reading up on the law/rules and understanding them yourself.

 

[Idec Sdawkminn]

In addition to the official copyright website, I really like fairusetube.org.

 

[Ein Buch in 7 Minuten]

Thanks for your answers. I will definitly look up my questions there.

But the problem is, that i dont think going with the rules 100% is always the best thing to do, if there are other factors to consider. (hear me out)
So i am a bit dependant on experience from other users.

For example, i see a lot of guys showing the book cover in their animated book summaries and i know from asking them, that they dont have the rights to do it.
But since they support the autor with affiliate links, its unlikely that any of them will ever complain.

Actually i know in hindsight that i broke copyright law in one of my summaries, but the autor found and actually liked me video. He even shared it on his facebook page. So its hard to find the right balance between rules and reasonability.

On the ohter hand, from what i understand, even if i dont break any copyright law, youtube will still favor the autor if he doesnt like what i do.

 

[Idec Sdawkminn]

I understand your position on that, but it is still always advisable to follow the law even if you don't think you'll get in trouble. But that's my opinion. I don't think following the law is ever unreasonable unless the law is bad for peoples' well-being.

In the case of the book cover, they are using it as context for a book summary, which is a type of commentary, so it could very well be fair use and they wouldn't need to get permission to legally use it. If their use falls under fair use, then they have the rights to do it.

 

[MostShockingEP]

You do not get legal aid on websites/forums. Find local solicitors office, book appointment to get all the answers you need. First consultation should not cost a lot.
From my own experience I can tell, that there is nothing worse when people think that they can spent few hours online and then they do not need lawyer consultation and think that they know everything about that topic. To become a lawyer with full license you need about 6 years and then learning does not stop there.
So if you want a real legal advice/help you go to law firm/solicitors office period.

 

[Ein Buch in 7 Minuten]

Yea you guys are right the problem is, how do i make appointments with american lawyers as a german. I could only do it over the internet.
I guess thats what i will do.