I'm making a free speed math program and in the documentation page I'd like to list math tricks. I have a book called rapid math tricks and tips full of math speed tips that I'd like to list. I'd feel sleezy copying each and every one, and explaining them in my own words. To what extent does the books copyright prohibit me? The math tricks themselves aren't copyright. I will obviously give full credit to the book, but I see how it could hurt the author.

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cite the book in yours

If the author is still around contact him/her and find out to what extent you may use them... Use your favorites and cite the book to say for more info use this book...

I think if make sure that you cite the book, and explictely say that these tricks were fomr a book, that you are quoting- that should be fine

Copyright may vary from country to country, but in Canada the following applies: Educational institutions and others are licensed by Access Copyright to reproduce works, within limitations, without the need to seek out individual copyright holders to obtain permission. Your school administrator, school district office, and ministry/department of education will know if there is an Access Copyright licence in place at the time you wish to make copies. The Access Copyright licence provides permission to educational institutions to make reprographic copies, the most common of which are photocopies. The Access Copyright licence also provides teachers and students with limited rights to copy legally the published work of others without seeking permission. But the licence does not give teachers and students the right to do any and all forms of reproduction. Teachers and students are permitted to make copies for school purposes, including class sets, as well as for administration, communications with parents, and library use. The Access Copyright licence covers published print works from the following countries: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The Access Copyright licence authorizes copying of up to 10 per cent of a work. You can copy more than 10 per cent in the following circumstances: - an entire chapter that constitutes 20 per cent or less of a book - an entire single short story, play, essay, or poem from a book, periodical, or anthology - an entire newspaper article or page - an entry from a reference work - an illustration or photograph from a publication containing other works - large-print material to accommodate the perceptually disabled, published in Canada - in limited cases, as specified in the licence, out-of-print books

Are the tricks basically public domain? That is, a lot of people know them; they didn't originate with this author? If so, you can probably use those provided you do your own explaining. You can't copyright ideas, or facts. You can copyright expression, or how you explain those facts. The tricks are quite possibly more on the fact side. As long as you use those, and don't lift the author's explanations, you have a strong case that you didn't infringe because there was nothing protected about what you use. So, your thought of what is "sleezy" is actually the way to do it and have less likelihood of infringing. If you want to be very certain that you're not infringing, then you'd go for a license from the copyright owner (usually publisher or author) for various exclusive rights in the tricks such as to copy, prepare a derivative work, distribute, and display publicly. Without the license, you can be sued for infringement even if what you took is in the public domain. The only way to really determine infringement is with a trial. With the license, as long as you stay with in the terms of the license, the license is an effective "I won't sue you" promise from the copyright owner regarding the material.

Source(s): http://citationmachine-east.net/index.ph...

Give this Wikipedia article a read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright It's got all the information you'll need, as well as links to other sites where you can get further help.