Hi,

I'm writing a non-fiction book and would like to include some facts which are in news reports from both UK and USA Newspaper articles and online reports. Most of the facts are covered in quite a number of different reports online and in various newspapers just in different formats.

When do such facts become public domain? I understand that some facts that have been found using individual research may be copyrighted? But other facts can be used freely if have become widely reported or known about and I tell in my own words. When do they become so widely known or reported about that I can use just the facts in my book?

I have read that once the same information (facts) is found in 5 different articles that is common knowledge and so I can use?

I would only use the basic facts about the case and nothing of dubious truth or hearsay.

Many thanks for replies

A fact can't be copyrighted, only the way it's expressed can. So if you report a fact in your own words, no one can sue you for breach of copyright.

If you want to quote a newspaper's report verbatim - perhaps as an authoritative source - then you'd have to get (and perhaps pay for) their permission to quote.

If you want to back up your statement without landing yourself with a bill, you can always put it in your own words, but add an accurate reference to the piece you're quoting, so that what you've said could be checked against that.

And of course you need to be very careful that any facts you state couldn't be thought to be libelling anyone; the fact that ten newspapers have said it doesn't make it safe - you could still be sued.

<Added>

but add an accurate reference to the piece you've drawn the information from

Put it in your own words, but then add a reference or Bibliography in the appendix.

All quotes must be referenced because otherwise you could be accused of plagiarism, which is maybe not quite as bad as infringing copyright, legally, but doesn't look at all good.

If you want to reproduce any substantive parts of published articles or books, you should ideally get the author's permission. In my experience, most authors are quite happy to give permission, provided you are reasonable and polite.

Of course, if you quote stuff more than 60 years old (ish - you'd have to check the actual age because I can't remember it off the top of my head), then I believe it is out of copyright anyway.

Of course, if you quote stuff more than 60 years old (ish - you'd have to check the actual age because I can't remember it off the top of my head), then I believe it is out of copyright anyway.

70 years. But check - if it's in translation, then the translation may be in copyright even if the original isn't.