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#1
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Copying dustjacket blurbs
Grey area on use of (attibuted) dustjacket blurbs in book descriptions.
William Klimon, Robert, Denise Enck and Bud Webster argue that it's ok. Pat O'Brien argues (compellingly) that it's not ok. Please excuse my quoting people's opinions and I apologise if that's inappropriate or I got it wrong. I like to type big chunks of dustjacket blurb in my ebay listings (cremorn) I also try very hard to learn to be a good bookseller. In the future I would like to make it my full time pursuit. It is of concern to me if I am doing something wrong. On what basis do think that it is ok to copy dustjacket blurbs in book listings? Many thanks, Richard. |
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#3
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Mark writes:
It isn't necessary. People who see your listing have already decided that they want that title, so it is a waste of time and bandwidth. I don't know about on eBay, but I have many times used keyword searching on ABE to find books that I didn't know the titles of, only details of the plot, character names, and so forth. I'm always grateful when a bookseller includes a description of that sort, though of course I would rather it was not ripped off from another bookseller! I agree that comments of the "A great old book from the days when they knew how to write 'em" type are less than useful. But dang it, when someone wants to know "What's that book about three different-sized witches named Mogget, Grommet, and Pellet, who rode around in a set of measuring cups?" those descriptions come in handy! (I made this one up ... I think.) --Helen |
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on 28 Jul 2003 in rec.collecting.books, Denise Enck chanted thus:
I do think the sometimes the blurb can contain useful information, summing up the book & its contents in (possibly) a tidier way than the bookseller could, especially when it comes to non-fiction books (which is mostly what I deal in). Of course, if one is hunting for a specific book, the blurb isn't going to mean a thing - but as Bud said, it can be helpful when browsing. If you are looking for non-fiction such as biographies that mention someone (or something) other than the main subject, this sort of extra information can be invaluable. It can also be misleading: I recently bought a biography of a Victorian writer who was described on the blurb - quoted online - as knowing, amongst others, one of my manias: Frank Harris. The book itself never even mentioned Harris, not once. Presumably the blurb writer consulted some other biographical source rather than actually reading the book: quite understandably, as it was very dull. (Fortunately for me it was also very cheap.) For the books I collect I would ask for as detailed a description as possible: blurb and chapter headings at least. But then, I am perhaps unusual in that I buy many books that I have never heard of before I come across them. -- Alfred Armstrong Now! With added Dot.Communism: http://www.oddbooks.com/ "The eye has been described by scientists as a small-sized volcano" - Webster Edgerly |
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"Mark Healey" wrote in message ... On Mon, 28 Jul 2003 05:05:49 UTC, (Richard Moriarty) wrote: On what basis do think that it is ok to copy dustjacket blurbs in book listings? Legally, I don't know or care. I don't like it and it reduces my estimation of the seller. Until the discussion in this group, I never thought about copying the dustjacket blurbs as a copyright issue. I'm usually very careful about things like that, and since I copy blurbs a lot (with attribution), I had a few shakey moments of self searching. But now that I've considered it, I agree with those who feel it falls into "fair use." The publisher intended those blurbs to help sell the book. If I wanted to load up my auction with lots of large photos, I could present all the same information (and more). It just doesn't bother me in the least to quote a dust jacket blurb. It isn't necessary. People who see your listing have already decided that they want that title, so it is a waste of time and bandwidth. I want to know what kind of shape the book is in. I don't need the sellers editorial commentary or that of the blurb guy from marketing a the publisher. I'm likely to skip that listing to go straight to one that has the information I want. It is also too pushy-salesy. It is like a car dealer who keeps telling you the car you've already decided to buy is a great ride. I agree that for fiction, people who see your listing probably already know they want the title. I also thinks it's generally true of people who are searching on ABE or similar databases. But eBay is full of browsers and people who will buy a title (if it's cheap enough) just because it sounds interesting and it came up in their searchs. If I've read a book myself and remember it clearly, I am inclined to write a blurb on content myself. Otherwise, I try to pick out representative sentences (or sometimes paragraphs) from the jacket blurbs. If it's non-fiction, sometimes I will list the table of contents, summarize appendices, and add anything else on content that I think will help a browser decide if they want my book. Of course, I also include a condition description of excruciating detail. Alice |
#6
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Bud Webster wrote in message . ..
On what basis do think that it is ok to copy dustjacket blurbs in book listings? Richard, blurbs and flap copy are there to sell the book. They're quoted by advertisers as well as both new and used booksellers. Quoting them falls under fair use. I don't think that "fair use" is applicable in this case. Fair use is an almost exclusively noncommercial concept: the Copyright Office, e.g., cites no example of a commercial use being fair use in the summary of court findings he http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html Fair use applies whether the copyright holder desire the use or not (as in the case of parodies and negative reviews). In the case of blurbage, the holder clearly wants the use to be made. Therefore, I would argue that the copyright holders are granting sellers an implied license for the purpose of describing the book to potential buyers. Can you imagine the alternative--if a copyright holder attempted to enforce its rights against sellers? "No, you may not use the copyrighted language 'The greatest novel of the millennium' in your store's signage or newsletter." That author/publisher would be dropped by retailers at light speed. BTW: I'm a big fan of substantive blurbage--I search online by keywords, so the more information, the better. I rarely search just by author/title. As often as not, I'm looking for things I've never seen before--I need the keywords to guide me to the treasure trove. I guess this is another one of those difference between collectors of modern firsts and genre fiction, on the one hand, and more traditional collectors, on the other. William M. Klimon http://www.gateofbliss.com |
#8
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"Mark Healey" wrote in message .... It isn't necessary. People who see your listing have already decided that they want that title, so it is a waste of time and bandwidth. I want to know what kind of shape the book is in. I don't need the sellers editorial commentary or that of the blurb guy from marketing a the publisher. I'm likely to skip that listing to go straight to one that has the information I want. I don't care one way or another about dust jacket blurbs, but I will often look up a book I see mentioned as a hot seller here (or elsewhere) and if I see positive comments from one or two booksellers whose opinion I trust, I'm more likely to take a chance with my limited funds. I always like it when booksellers share their enthusiasm (or lack thereof) for particular books. Rachel Wright |
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