Right to quote

Intellectual property law and Intellectual rights
Primary rights
Copyright Patent Trademark Trade secret Geographical indication
Sui generis rights
Authors' rights Database right Indigenous intellectual property Industrial design right Integrated circuit layout design protection Moral rights Plant breeders' rights Related rights Supplementary protection certificate Utility model
Related topics
Anti-copyright Bioprospecting Limitations and exceptions to copyright (Fair dealing Fair use Right to quote) Orphan works Public domain Societal views Traditional safety valves Outline of intellectual property

Right to quote is a legal concept in continental Europe, which some people consider similar to fair use. It allows for quoting excerpts of copyrighted works, as long as the cited paragraphs are within a reasonable limit (varying from country to country), clearly marked as quotations and fully referenced, and if the resulting new work is not just a collection of quotations, but constitutes a fully original work in itself. In some countries the intended use of the work (educational, scientific, parodist, etc.) may also be a factor determining the scope of this right.

France

In France, it is illegal to reproduce someone's work without their approval. But if the work is published, i.e. no longer being edited prior to release, small quotations are legal.

Germany

In Germany, the right to quote is extended considerably for research purposes and may even encompass complete works (e. g. texts, pictures, music or videos).

Poland

In Poland, the right to quote allows quotation of excerpts of works and small works as a whole, provided that this is justified by teaching, review or the specificity of the works genre (e.g. parody).

See also

• Fair dealing