Do I need permission to quote myself?

[Krista D. Ball]

I know this sounds like a weird question, but bare (and bear) with me.

I used to work with Edmonton's homeless population, so there are a lot of articles of me talking about the power of food. I am currently under contract for a non-fiction book regarding the history of food and how fantasy authors can use it in their books. I want to use some of the things I've said over the years in interviews for newspapers and TV.

Do I need to ask permission of the newspapers, or it is just assumed I can requote myself?

[E. S. Lark]

That a really good...interesting question. Even though you were the one who took part in the interview, I still think you'd need the publication's permission as they kind of own first rights or what have you. I'm curious to see how this works out for you.

[JRTomlin]

That is an excellent question, whether your own quotes are covered by the authors' copyrights. I don't know but I will be fascinated by the answer.

[Krista D. Ball]

I was hoping it was going to be cut and dry, but I suppose not. I really wanted to avoiding emailing everyone and asking if I could quote myself because, you know, it just sounds ego-masturbatory somehow.

I know that the paraphrases I need permission (which is weird that I need permission to quote a paragraphing of myself  ).

[BrianKittrell]

You own the original material. When newspapers quote you, they're quoting you as a source. So, yes, you can quote yourself. You would only need permission if you were using part of their article--their work itself, not your quotes.

[George Berger]

You're free to "requote" yourself, in the literal (and figurative - you can't copyright ideas, after all) senses. The only way you'd need permission is if you were to directly quote a journalist's paraphrasing of you, and I'm having a hard time figuring out why you'd want to do that. (Paraphrasing in the sense of "Ball says that incorrect rumours continue to persist in the local homeless communities that one can subsist on two Slim Jims and a litre of Faygo a day, but is quick to point out that anyone, homeless or college student, attempting this diet will soon discover its nutritional inadequacies and their unpleasant effects, and blames the misinformation on a popular American survivalist website.")

[genevieveaclark]

You could just...say it again?

I'm kidding, but only sort of. I kind of want you to make a video of you saying the exact same thing in your kitchen or something, and cite that instead.

[David Wisehart]

I'm no lawyer, but my understanding is that if you do an interview with a newspaper or blog or book, they own copyright to the interview, but you still have the right to re-use the content of your answers.

In other words, you could not reproduce the entire interview without their permission, but you could use your answers individually, outside the structure of the interview. Make sense?

But this is apparently a fuzzy and perhaps unsettled area in copyright law.

Again, I'm no lawyer, so consume with salt.

David

[Krista D. Ball]

You could just...say it again?

I'm kidding, but only sort of. I kind of want you to make a video of you saying the exact same thing in your kitchen or something, and cite that instead.

 

It's muddy since I've said many of the same things over and over, cause you know it was my job and all 

I think I'll paraphrase myself and then use that. I can get away with that right? 

[BrianKittrell]

I'd love to see the judge's face when meeting up with the plaintiff and defendant in court over this one. "You're suing the defendant... for re-saying something they said??"

[Krista D. Ball]

I'd love to see the judge's face when meeting up with the plaintiff and defendant in court over this one. "You're suing the defendant... for re-saying something they said??"

 

[JRTomlin]

I'd love to see the judge's face when meeting up with the plaintiff and defendant in court over this one. "You're suing the defendant... for re-saying something they said??"

Being a writer gets strange sometimes.