Copyright issues - is this ok?

using content from books, etc.

[mona]

I'm trying to build content on a daily basis for a site. I know very little about the products sold, so I'm not really able to write original content. I want to go to the library, check out a bunch of books, and use stuff from there. Is this legal, though? Of course I would credit everything I use - list the author, book title, publication date, etc.

These are some things I've already done, but now I'm fresh out of ideas!
1) I've made some 'information pages' on specific brand names, taking content from the manufacuter catalogs.
2) I've made a 'resource page' with links and desriptions about a closely related subject.
3) I've made a site map
4) I'm trying to make an FAQ (but there are some issues there I won't go into)

[storevalley]

Best idea is to ask permission before using copyrighted material to make sure you are covered.

[Jenstar]

If you are using the books to get inspiration from and to learn about the products is fine. But if you are using those books to copy articles, that is a no no.

What some people do, is read the relevant books/articles, then wait a few days before writing anything on the subject yourself. This helps ensure what you write is in your own words, and not in the words of the author you just read.

[killroy]

Just remmber the facts are not copyrightable. Only the form of expression is.

Sayign a Widget is small furry and green, in the same order as teh book is ok as long as it's not a reproduction, verbatim, are nearly so. In fact hte law is a bit fuzzy there and has often caused problems (like paraphrasing).

Just write the same facts in your own words and you should be ok.

SN

[mona]

Thanks. So if I read some books from the library, maybe some current magazine articles, and some online forums, should that be enough to get some daily content going? As long as I don't do it word for word? And I like the wait a day or two idea before writing anything.

[martinibuster]

Hey mona, that's an excellent idea- but I think of it in terms of writing a term paper. Make the information your own.

We all learn stuff from somewhere else, but that doesn't mean we have to attribute it to what someone told you. Same for content. I check stuff out from the library and buy books- and consult experts in person, when preparing content. Interviewing experts, especially by email, is a great way for generating content. I'm also contributing articles as a way to generate exposure (offline and online) as well.

[Jenstar]

Other things to think about - think of all the customer questions you get about widgets. People often have enought content just from customer inquiries for another 20 or so pages of content. And don't underestimate the traffic that some of these "dumb customer questions" can bring to your site, because if someone has asked you about it, people have probably searched for it too ;)

Re-read those product descriptions. You might be able to expand on some parts of the description, and turn them into an article on its own. If you sell fuzzy green widgets, you could add content on "Just how fuzzy are our fuzzy green widgets?" or "Why is green the most popular color of fuzzy widgets?"

Also think about adding testimonials, customer review, recommended uses (this works for all but the most painfully obvious products), etc.

[killroy]

With a new site, based completely on research (i.e. we knew nothign about the topic before starting the site), we get a lot of detailed questions and requests for information.

We make it a poitn to painstankingly research each one, answer by email and then add it to relevant FAQ sections.

Often that leads us to whole new subtopics and extra pages.

Also whatch those search keywords in your referers, they tell a lot what people associate with your main keywords.

SN

[mona]

Wow! Thanks for all your contributions and great ideas, everyone. I was feeling bored with this site with no fresh ideas to add. Now I don't know if there's enough time in the day to get all this done! Excellent, thanks again:)

[momsbudget]

If you are going back far enough, the books may no longer have valid copyright and can be considered public domain, meaning you can copy them verbatim. Here is a handy table of what constitutes public domain
[unc.edu...]

This has worked well on some of my sites, for things like humorous parenting advice or investment ideas (that now seem so ludicrous - but are FILLED with keywords and supply some humor). Also, if you are looking at books that are more recent, you can contact the author or publisher and get authorization to reprint portions. I have publishers that send me every new book they have allowing be to copy a chapter or section, and I in-turn link to them, the author, or the book right on Amazon.

[edited by: engine at 5:39 pm (utc) on Sep. 18, 2003]
[edit reason] fixed link [/edit]