# News paper copyright



## hhhhhhhhhh (18 Dec 2005)

I am setting up a travel information website.

I would like to include some of the text from the articles that appear in some of the weekend papers on the site.

Most of the articles are fact based, the climate, hotels, flights and where to find further information.

My Questions:

Is newspaper text copyrighted?

Can fact articles be copyrighted?


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## extopia (18 Dec 2005)

Facts are facts - you can't copyright a fact. If I were you I'd check the accuracy of anything found in any Irish newspaper however.

What's the URL of your website?


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## CGorman (18 Dec 2005)

If you are looking for plenty of article style factual travel information, you should take a look at wikitavel.org, its content is not copyright and you are free to use it as you please. For an example, check out this article on Nice.


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## DrMoriarty (18 Dec 2005)

extopia said:
			
		

> Facts are facts - you can't copyright a fact. If I were you I'd check the accuracy of anything found in any Irish newspaper however.


Ditto to that — but if you 'lift' a whole article (or parts thereof) _verbatim_, without acknowledging the source, that's plagiarism. The paper/author might not bother coming after you for copyright infringement — depending on how you use the material — but it's not good practice. Widespread — rampant, even! — but not 'good'...


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## hhhhhhhhhh (18 Dec 2005)

I already have the articles up on the site, to help develope the look and feel of the site with some content, so I wouldn't be giving the url until I sort out the legal status or replace the articles.

Its not straight forward facts its more a description of the facts, see a part of the nice link CGorman posted.

I now I could pull the facts out of the text and have it in bullet points all legal or write my own commentry based on the facts, but the personal commentry is nicer to read.

Is it legal if I quote the Author & Source and use the article word perfect?
 thanks



> [broken link removed] (_[broken link removed]_) is one of the busiest in France and has direct flights to most major cities in Europe as well  and a number of destinations in North Africa and the Middle East. The airport is located at the western end of Nice on landfill. Arrival and departure in good weather often provides beautiful views of the .
> Most airlines use Terminal 1 (the older terminal) with Terminal 2 used primarily by Air France (and partners) and Easyjet. There is a free shuttle bus between the terminals.
> Various bus lines depart from the airport. To get to the downtown bus depot, take line 98 (departing at bus stop 1 every 30 minutes, on the hour). The fare to the terminus is 4 Euros per person. The airport website has a [broken link removed] (_[broken link removed]_).
> Some hotels offer shuttle buses from the airport - inquire at your hotel before or upon arrival.


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## ClubMan (18 Dec 2005)

You should at least, as a matter of courtesy, contact the newspaper and/or journalist whose works you are planning to quote/reproduce to get their permission. Better still you should employ a solicitor to make sure that you and your site are legit in this and other contexts.


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## Icarus (19 Dec 2005)

Hi hhhhhhh. I've PM'd you.


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## Newsletter (29 Dec 2005)

In general most newspapers will state explicity whether you can re-use the information or not (Irish Times for example) A lot of publishers want you to republish (it increases their reach) as long as you keep the 
copyright for example this is one such I subscribe to:

"This copy of xxx Weekly may be distributed freely, 
provided that the distribution is without charge, that the issue is 
distributed complete and unaltered, and that all copies retain the 
xxx copyright notice." (c) xxx 2005

The important thing is to always quote the copyright so that you are acknowledging it. Once material is in the publlic domain, however, you are free to quote it, (as being such), ie "according to an Irish Times report dated 29Dec05, xxx said that ..." 

However should you frequently wish to republish it always pays to ask, as indicated in previous posts.


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## blacknight (2 Jan 2006)

hhhhhhhhhh said:
			
		

> Is newspaper text copyrighted?
> 
> Can fact articles be copyrighted?



Yes to both.

Most news sites have a copyright / trademark statement which you should read carefully before you use any of their material.


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