Copyright laws

[mano91]

Hello,

I finished VCE in 2009 and began tutoring in 2010.

Since then, I have developed a solid interest in the field and in recent times, I have began creating my own material.

I have a few questions regarding the creation of material.

Does anyone know what the copyright laws are in regards to creating questions?
With notes, it should be obvious that they need be referenced (if taken from an external source) and so my question is in regards to "questions".

For instance, a question from a text book: (I am not referring to photocopying below. Talking about typing it up)
is copying it word for word illegal?
does changing minor words make it legal?
if so, how many words need to be changed?
if the event in the question is changed and the characters names changed, is that enough?
what about diagrams given in questions? can they be used? or would diagrams need to be drawn/ replicated entirely on ones own?
If values are changed?

these questions above also apply to trial exam questions, questions from study guides etc.

Thank you for your assistance

[Russ]

IANAL but my understanding is that for commercial use (ie tutoring) you are not protected under the fair usage test (eg <10% etc.) unless the source explicitly allows you to do this or you are adding substantial new value to the information (you're not). You cannot use any material from a preparation company/textbook in this way, even if you rephrase the question by changing specific numbers. The question and any associated diagrams would need to be substantially different from the previous, so as to be obviously identifiable as different questions. At this point, you're probably just better off writing your own questions and perhaps using them as inspiration.

[pi]

Can't really talk about copyrights on much authority (I'm sure someone will come up with the %s and whatnot), but this might help as for what we were told to do for the AN Study Guide series:
- Make exam-style questions that were NOT based off any company exam or textbook. So no doubt some wording might be similar, but the question stems etc would be original material with no previous basis. We can't help it if some questions have some overlap in material with other existing material, but I guess that comes down to VCE subjects having a certain scope and course-rigidity and hence there will always be overlap. But if it has your own style then that's ok (imo).
- Diagrams were either done by ourselves from scratch, or found via Wikimedia Commons. As tempting as it was to leech a picture from a textbook, we followed this guideline and did it mainly by ourselves.

Personally I think it'd be a bit dodgy to make materials that were very similar to existing sources with words/numbers changed or order or questions changed or something.

Also, it defeats the purpose if that material already exists, why re-make it then? Might as well spend that time making something new that can't be found any where!

[JellyDonut]

Remember that you aren't writing a research paper so you can't just reproduce material. Still no harm in e-mailing the authors asking for permission. Might get lucky or better directions. You are also a student with probably shit all for money so some companies might just brush it off assuming you didn't just appropriate material

I'm also not a lawman

[mano91]

You all are very helpful, I appreciate the input.

Pi, you make a valid point as to why would I replicate material that already exists.. It is more as a summary of the questions that I believe are quality from a source.