title: The Copyright Permission and Libel Handbook: A Step-by-Step Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers
author:  Lloyd J. Jassin 
description: Any writer or editor not concerned about copyright and libel ought to be. While the laws governing copyright are more straightforward than those regarding libel, disregarding either can land a writer or publication in a lot of hot water. Very hot. While the authors of <i>The Copyright Permission and Libel Handbook</i> state outright that their guide should not take the place of an attorney, they explain copyright and libel issues in great detail, so that, at the very least, you'll know when to be on the alert. Copyright is relatively simple. "If you intend to use someone's copyrighted work," say Jassin and Schechter, "unless the use is considered a fair use, you must obtain that person's written permission." Of course, "fair use" gets tricky. One court determined that the Moral Majority's reproduction of a full ad from <i>Hustler</i> magazine was a fair use, while another ruled that <i>The Nation</i>'s reproduction of 300 words from President Ford's 20,000-word unpublished memoirs was not.
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  For testimonials from law enforcement,
  
  visit Carolyn Arnold’s website
  [_here_](https://carolynarnold.net/testimonials/).
  
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  Copyright © 2019 by Carolyn Arnold
  
  Excerpt from _On the Count of Three_ copyright © 2018 by Carolyn Arnold
  
  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
  distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
  photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without
  the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief
  quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses
  permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, contact the publisher.
  
  Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc.
  
  www.hspubinc.com
  
  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the
  products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance
  to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely
  coincidental.
  
  > Publisher’s Cataloging-In-Publi