Whether it’s family members’ touchiness or lawyers’ zealous interpretation of intellectual property rights, things seem to be getting worse for biographers and others requesting permission to quote from letters and documents. [Craig Fehrman, The New Republic]
One Comment
The decision of whether, when, and how a work is first published is one of the most important protected by copyright. I think this is more smart financial planning than zealotry. Once the letters are published, anyone can quote them for commentary purposes under fair use.