One Page Copyright?

September 14, 2021 @ 8:17pmpmoonfyre says:
Years ago I inherited my great grandmother's diary containing witchcraft spells that have been used in our family for generations. There is one particular page I would like to use for a project that I am doing.

The page consists of 13 spells, the ingredients needed for the spells, and the rituals involved when performing these spells.

Can I copyright just that one page from her diary?

Thank you in advance
September 26, 2021 @ 9:50amlawyersara says:
Hello there.

You said you "inherited" you great-grandmother's diary... was it gifted to you in her will? Did she give you, also, the copyright? That said, copyright lasts for the entire life of the artist plus 70 years after their death. As such, even though she died, her diary is still under copyright (the copyright was created automatically when she wrote down the spells/rituals).

The question is: who owns the copyright now? To determine that fact, you would need to go to her will and see what it says (if anything) about who inherited her copyrighted works.

If there is no will, it would need to be figured out by reference to intestacy laws.
September 26, 2021 @ 9:50amlawyersara says:
Additionally, you can always use a single page to create something else if you believe it is a fair use.

For more information on fair use see: https://go.illinois.edu/FairUseVideo

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