Book Club
Do you have permission?
by Alison Morton
Disclaimer: this article is meant as a guide for general information and should in no way be construed as legal advice.
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}˙]PRo`]u]vÉ.ÉoX Iv RÉ UKU RÉ }É }( o]É˙U uU u]o } `}l ] oo˙ RÉ . }`vÉ }( }˙]PR ]v ]X F] É }( }uÉ}˙ ÉoÉ[ `}l ] oo}`É (} ]]uU ]ÉÉ ` v }}vU ]vo]vP (} R}oo˙vR É }ÉX˙} B R}o}vo˙}É v]É ]v ˙} }`v `}lX M}É RÉÉP R'Pll```XP}X llP]vÉlɢÉ}vr}r}˙]PR I(˙}[É}vPu}ÉRv(É``}U˙}[oovÉÉ}PÉ permission, or you could run into (expensive) trouble. T} É }v]ÉÉ (] ÉU ]( RooÉvPÉU R} will need to demonstrate they are adding value through context, commentary or v(}u}v}(RÉ`}lX
Beware brand names S}uÉ oPÉ }}}v v RÉÉv oÉPo }v ]( ˙} use their names in your work. WR } (} `} o]lÉ C}lÉl C} C}oU H}}É v KoÉÉvɢU names used widely as generic terms. The grey area is when you use a name in a general sense, e.g. `R]É PÉPÉ}X TRÉ (É }É }(}v]}ÉPÉvÉo`}o]lÉ }oUuUvÉ uoo`R]É car.
Titles and lyrics Y} v }É }vP oÉ ]v ˙} v}ÉoU ˙} `]oo vÉÉ } PÉ Éu]]}v (}u RÉ u] o]RÉ ]( ˙} `v } ]voÉ o˙] `]'Év LÉ ıæX B}}l oÉ É v} }˙]PR ]v RÉ UK } USX HÉÉ ]v FvÉU RÉ oÉ ] R ]( ˙} }}É oÉ }o É }v(É `]R }vÉ oÉ˙ published, you could be breaking the very strong droit d’auteurX}BÉ o}}l}v(}]+ÉÉvoÉQX
So France? The droit d’auteur`Éo}É]vRÉRÉv˙RÉ uÉ uÉ }˙]PR Éo}É ]v RÉ Uv]É K]vP}uX TRÉ}]oo}`}É }˘o}] É RÉ]`}l(}.vv]o P]v ]vo]vP R}]]vP ] o]}v v }}v É } } Év É]RÉU } } v(É RÉ] ]PR } R] ˙U ÉXPX Éoo RÉ }}l } ]}vo o]RÉ } RÉ˙ can publish it.
Enter moral rights – A whole new ball game FÉvR}˙]PRo`}ÉÉ `}l É v˘ÉÉ v]}v }(RÉR} [}vo]˙ É vPv] vuÉ}(u}o ]PRX GÉvÉoo˙U RÉ R} R RÉ ]PR } SRÉ É }( R] vuÉU }( R] R}U v }( R] `}l_ ~AX L121-1, Civil Code) Moral rights are considered inalienable, perpetual and ]v]}ooÉ v } RÉ R} [ RÉ] }v RÉ R} [ R É u˙ v} É }RÉ`]Év(ÉÉ } }o ˙ RÉ author or legal successors. Authors cannot agree to waive RÉ]u}o]PRoR}PRRÉ˙vv}(}É É }}É u}o ]PR} RÉ `}lU v RÉ˙]v É RÉ }}v v}} exercise them. S}uÉuÉURÉu}o]PR}(RÉR}u˙}vG]`]R RÉ }É˙ ]PR }( RÉ }`vÉ }( RÉ `}lX TRÉv the lawyers get involved. Recent decisions have led to certain moral rights being weakened. WRR]ÉJ
Public domain under French law RÉ ÉB ]PR }( Éo]É( RÉÉX A work enters the public domain (domaine public) once the droit [ÉR˘]É É XIu˙RÉv be used without charge, so long RÉ u}o ]PR }( RÉ R} É É ˙ }vP RÉ R} [vuÉ v }]P]vo oÉ }( the work.
Quoting from other people’s works S]u]o } UK o`U ]vP R} }}v ] v ˘ÉÉ }v}RÉ}][É]vFvÉXIvPÉvÉoU vR}vv}}iÉ o]u]É˘É }(R]`}lÉ]vP }ÉÉ UiÉ}]v É }v]}vXTRÉR} [vuÉ vRÉ}ÉR}o ÉoÉo˙R}`vvÉi.É˙ RÉ ]oU }vo É U ]Év. } ]v(}u}vo vÉ }(RÉ`}l]v`R]RRÉ˙]voÉ É U]XÉXÉoÉvXIu o}}}}vo É U]v}RÉ`}UR}X C}uo]ÉU ]v[ ]M Y} u˙ vÉÉ } PÉ É]o] oÉPo ]ÉU]vÉvÉU](˙}`v}}Év}RÉR} [ `}lURÉÉ˙oÉUlRÉR} [Éu]]}vX
Alison has compiled a selection of articles from this column in ‘The 500 Word Writing Buddy’, available as an ebook and paperback. The sequel to her latest thriller, ‘Double Identity’ will be out in October.
43 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly, October 2021
