Book publishing

[Oleg Zabielin]

Jurisdiction

Other

Good morning to all!

My name is Oleg, I am the photographer, working in military field
I am not a US person and residing in Ukraine
I have a great collection of military pictures and artworks and would like to publish my personal photobook and sell it on Amazon

The case is I am completely noob in US law and definitely will need somebody to answer crucial questions and avoid deadly mistakes
- Do I have right to use quotes of great people (crediting them, of course)?
- Should I get register my book, obtain reg number or something? Or I can publish it here, in Ukraine, and send books to customers just using post service?
- Should I pay taxes selling my books on Amazon?

These questions may look simple, but I must solve them before I start
Would be extremely grateful for any advice

 

[adjusterjack]

Unless you were the photographer and the creator of the artwork you might have copyright issues with the owners of the material.

There are several sources for Ukraine copyright law at:

ukraine copyright law at DuckDuckGo

As for the US, start with the US Copyright Office:

U.S. Copyright Office

 

[Oleg Zabielin]

Thank you for the answer
There won`t be any issues with copyright, since I am the only owner
All photos are mine

 

[zddoodah]

The answer to the question about use of quotes is that it depends on who said it, when it was said and in what context it was said.

If you're selling copyright-protected works in the U.S., registering the copyrights is a good idea (but not strictly necessary).

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Short quotes by themselves are often not copyrightable, which is why you'll see many books of quotes (however a compilation of selected quotes can certainly be subject to copyright.) As others warn, don't take general loose statements such as these as absolute although you can also use logic as to why. It's probably a dangerous and undesirable place to remove the ability of people to have free speech by reserving a dozen words from general use. Note that there can be trademark issues. The reference above to the USPTO is a good place to look for legal information on copyright and trademark.

 

[zddoodah]

The reference above to the USPTO is a good place to look for legal information on copyright and trademark.

"Adjusterjack's" link is to the U.S. Copyright Office, not the USPTO. The USPTO is the place to go for info about trademarks, but the Copyright Office is a separate agency.

 

[Oleg Zabielin]

The answer to the question about use of quotes is that it depends on who said it, when it was said and in what context it was said.

May I ask you about general rules in this field? Article or review or something?

Note that there can be trademark issues

Do you mean copyright protected names of military branches and so on? As far as I know they are protected under IC 25 only - apparel, namely, shirts, pants, jackets, footwear, hats and caps, athletic uniforms etc. If I wrong, there may be problems, since I would like to include in the book short explanatory texts about military branches and outfits - USMC, Seals, SWAT etc

 

[Michael Wechsler]

"Adjusterjack's" link is to the U.S. Copyright Office, not the USPTO. The USPTO is the place to go for info about trademarks, but the Copyright Office is a separate agency.

Yes, I was typing in a rush. Meant to say it is a good place for trademarks to supplement the copyright information. Thank you for following up!

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Do you mean copyright protected names of military branches and so on? As far as I know they are protected under IC 25 only - apparel, namely, shirts, pants, jackets, footwear, hats and caps, athletic uniforms etc. If I wrong, there may be problems, since I would like to include in the book short explanatory texts about military branches and outfits - USMC, Seals, SWAT etc

Here is an article that lists 10 trademarked slogans. If your use can create a reasonable possibility of a likelihood of confusion in the marketplace as to origin, you may be met with a cease and desist letter from the trademark holder who may choose to prosecute a legal claim. You may be thinking about quotes that don't enter this realm but you certainly should consider the nature of what you're investigating.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Here is an article that lists 10 trademarked slogans. If your use can create a reasonable possibility of a likelihood of confusion in the marketplace as to origin, you may be met with a cease and desist letter from the trademark holder who may choose to prosecute a legal claim. You may be thinking about quotes that don't enter this realm but you certainly should consider the nature of what you're investigating.

I don't see an article or link to one in your post so I doubt the OP will.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

This list of trademarked slogans should do.

The 16 Greatest Slogans In History