October 24, 2011 @ 18:10pm
I want to establish a website hosting online flashcards that are based on some college text books. I would really appreciate if somebody can tell me if it's ok or not.
October 24, 2011 @ 18:10pm
It really just depends. In general the answer is no, you cannot copy material from a textbook and basically creating a derivative work from it without permission. Are the flashcards limited to students enrolled in a class where the textbook is used? Then that seems okay. Is the information factual? Facts are not covered by copyright, so if you are making postcards of names of rivers, geography, etc, then again it's okay. And you can always ask for permission also.
October 24, 2011 @ 18:10pm
Thanks a lot for your reply. The flashcards only contains the "words" and "definitions" from the end of each chapter or from the glossary at the end of the book. Could the "words" and their "definitions" be considered factual? Also it's probably most suitable for people take the corresponding course, but since it's on the web, I not sure how can the user be limited only to those students.