Published works, both literary and non-literary, are considered to be intellectual property and are subject to the laws and regulations governing intellectual property rights. Basically, this means that any use of a work, including translations, must be authorized by the copyright holder. The following books provide overviews of copyright laws.
The U.S. Copyright Office provides the most current version of the law in this country. It includes registration forms, instructions, various circulars and brochures for printing or downloading, etc.
Stanford University Libraries have an excellent site on Copyright and Fair Use with many useful links, especially to international resources. Its emphasis is, of course, on the academic interpretation of "fair use".
Copyright information, especially for contemporary works, may be available from the publisher of the specific edition used for the translation.Below are a list of databases that all contain content relevant to research in translation studies. For tips on how to begin your database searching, visit the "Database Search Tips" page here.
