Rules regarding use of quotes on prints

[Eclair]

Hiya

I am looking at offering quotes as prints and on mugs etc, many of which would be well known quotes. Can anyone please give me some guidance on using quotes without breaking rules or breaching copyright. What can and can't be used for commercial use etc. I am researching, but getting rather confused.
If anyone can lead me in the right direction of some good resources on this matter, that would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks
Claire

 

[Noah]

"Most quotes are made up anyway." - Oscar Wilde

 

[MikeJ]

"Especially those on the internet"

- Albert Einstein.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

"Your Fired" used by many years centuries before Mr Sugar

 

[Deleted member 59730]

If the author died more than 70 years ago it is out of copyright.

Anything else you need to ask permission.

 

[Mr D]

"Your Fired" used by many years centuries before Mr Sugar

I believe he uses punctuation so quote slightly different?

Copyright applies a little different in different places?

 

[Noah]

"Your Fired" used by many years centuries before Mr Sugar

Particularly fitting on pottery items.

 

[The Byre]

I am looking at offering quotes as prints and on mugs etc, many of which would be well known quotes. Can anyone please give me some guidance on using quotes without breaking rules or breaching copyright. What can and can't be used for commercial use etc. I am researching, but getting rather confused.

And the answer is -

If the author died more than 70 years ago it is out of copyright. Anything else you need to ask permission.

In the UK, we have the concept of 'Fair Dealing' (not the same as the US concept of Fair Use, but very similar.

As you will be using the quotes to sell product, the use falls very clearly OUTSIDE the definition of fair dealing. Were you to be quoting to illustrate a point in an article, book, or other media, that would be OK. T-shirts, mugs and similar products are definitely not OK.

You can read about 'Fair Dealing' here - http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p27_work_of_others#fair_dealing

 

[Eclair]

OK, thanks for your help, I will use the 70 year rule then. Thanks for the link also The Byre.

 

[Deleted member 59730]

To be very clear it is 70 years after the end of the year in which the author died. So every author who died in 1947 goes out of copyright at midnight tonight.

When the rule was 50 years I paid £12 per word for a quote of Beatrix Potter's 2 months before it went out of copyright.

 

[youngtrepreneur]