Fair Use-Can you put the back cover copy of a book on a website?

I wouldn't do it without permission from the publisher (not the author--back cover copy is almost always written by a staff member at the publishing company).

I've got about fifteen reviews on my novels. In each case the reviewer has been authorized by the publisher to use the blurb on the back cover in part or in its entirety so I assume its up to the publisher in general.

They're fine with back cover quotations, with attribution.

Melia said:

Sorry if this has been answered somewhere else, but I couldn't find it just searching 'fair use'. I understand you can quote snippets from books you are reviewing under the 'fair use' guidelines. Can you reproduce the entire back cover copy from a book on a website if you state that's what it is?

Click to expand...

What for? Are you reviewing the book (or, for some reason, reviewing the design of the cover)? Generally if you're reviewing something, you're pretty safe.

The point being: the purpose for which you're reproducing something matters.

ETA: I just realized what you want to reproduce is the back cover copy, i.e. the text, not a photo of the cover. Hmm. Again, what's your purpose? Why would you need to reproduce the entire text of the back-cover blurb?

Melia:
Can you reproduce the entire back cover copy from a book on a website if you state that's what it is?

Click to expand...

I've run a review blog since 2006 and I put the back cover copy (or inner jacket copy if it's a hardback) up so that people can see what the book is about. Where I found the copy to be misleading about the subject of the book, I usually put that in the review. I get ARCs from a couple of publishers who I've linked to my blog and no-one's given me any problems about it. One marketing bod at a UK publisher said they actually thought that it made sense to do so because that's what the cover blurb was intended to do. So far as I'm concerned, I'm going to keep doing it unless and until I get a C&D letter.

MM

Melia said:

Ideagirl,

Basically, I just wanted to list good books (in my opinion) for middle grade readers. I thought using the back cover copy would give the best idea of what the book is about.

Click to expand...

You would have no trouble getting that permission from the publishers for that kind of usage. However, you would need permission: reproducing the entirety of a book's back cover copy is not considered "fair use."

You can quote from the back cover copy as part of "fair use" in writing a review or similar, but reproducing the entire text would not qualify. Now, I suppose you can do it and just deal with the consequences if anyone complains (like Momento Mori is doing): as long as you're ready to take stuff down if anyone has an objection, you won't have a problem.

But in theory, the back cover blurb is text copyrighted by the publishers, and therefore can't be reproduced in full without their permission.

IceCreamEmpress said:

You would have no trouble getting that permission from the publishers for that kind of usage. However, you would need permission: reproducing the entirety of a book's back cover copy is not considered "fair use."

Click to expand...

It really would be fine.

If you're a reviewer for a publication or write the catalog copy for a large bookseller that gets the regular book and data mailings form publishers they send you the back cover copy in digital form. They want you to use it, and even in its entirety, it's ok. Just make it clear that you are quoting from the book's back cover and include title, author and publication info.