Are translations of books copyrighted?

In other words, copyright law does protect a translation, so long as it is the translator’s personal intellectual creation. For this to apply, the translation needs to differ from the original work by a particular level of creativity, formally referred to as the threshold of originality.

Is it copyright infringement to translate?

Translations are a form of derivative work which require the copyright holder’s permission. An exception to this is if their copyrights have expired and their work is in the public domain. If someone translates a piece which is in the public domain, then they can claim copyright ownership for that translated edition.

Is it legal to translate a book without copyright?

Yes. Copyright of a book is owned by the author. Copyright is actually a bundle of rights. One of these is the right to make a “derivative work.” A translation is a derivative work. The author may make a translation, of course. Or, the author may give someone else permission (a license) to create a translation.

Can I translate a book and post it on my blog?

In other words, yes, you can translate parts of this book and post them on your blog, but you need to be reasonable about it – you can’t post an entire translated chapter. If you want to quote more than a few paragraphs at a time, consult the publishing company. * If the book was published before 1923, go for it. You don’t need permission at all.

Can I post a translation of a book on my intranet?

Therefore even if it is possible that the publisher would grant permission for posting the translation on the intranet, permission should be requested before undertaking such distribution. Most translations of scientific and technical literature are works for hire in a sense, but not in the copyright sense.

Do I need permission to translate books for private use?

If you’re translating them privately for private use (that is, not publishing or publicising them), then you don’t need permission. However, you will need permission from the copyright holder (either the author or the publisher) if you intend to publish or publicise the translation.