This is taken from another list. Youall may find it interesting. As a writer, I certainly support concern about copying copyrighted material. As a researcher, I appreciate the information shared in the hope of getting even more information. If we are going to talk about copyright, I think it is important to say a lot more. 1. One sure way to avoid even the suspicion of copyright infringement is to paraphrase what is published in the book. Facts cannot be copyrighted. The form in which they are presented is copyrighted. Books of compiled public records are copyrighted for the way the words are put together. As long as you don't copy word for word you won't violate the writer's/publisher's rights. I know it is tempting, because it is easier to just type than to think about what is being said. Researchers also try to be as accurate to the original as possible, but in this case you can risk losing a small detail to avoid upsetting a delicate balance of rights. 2. This point is a little fuzzier, but there is something called fair use that may protect the "copier." Fair use is not exactly defined in the copyright law. The guidelines include: --considering the purpose of "copying." Whether it is for commercial or educational use would be considered during prosecution. --looking at the nature of the copyrighted work. There is a difference between a poem and a compilation of public records. --comparing the amount of copied material to the entirety of the work. Copying two dozen entries from a work with fifty entries is substantially different from copying that number from a work with hundreds, if not thousands, of entries. --evaluating the effect of copying on the potential market and value of the original work. For every person researching Colbys who now doesn't need to buy the book, there could be a person researching a Colby spouse who decides he wants to buy the book to see who else is listed. Copyright issues are so important to writers, publishers, researchers and the general public, we all need to understand the rules. Writers and publishers need to protect their investments of time and money to gather and share information. At the same time, researchers and the public need to be able to share what they learn from copyrighted material for that information to be meaningful to them.