I'm about done with my Tiger II model and I plan to mount it on a simple wood base with a nameplate. I worked from reference photos to model a vehicle from s.Pz.Abt. 503 that was destroyed in Le Plessis-Grimoult, France in August 1944. The story of the vehicle's demise is recounted in a book by Eric Hunt that includes a quote from a British soldier who witnessed the tank's destruction first hand. I'd like to include his quote on the nameplate, but I'm not sure whether reproducing a paragraph-size chunk of text is reasonable. At what point do I need to attribute the text to the book/author (i.e. include it on the nameplate)? And at what point do I need to request the author/publisher's permission to use the information?

Text like this is placed much better in context when the reference is given with the quotes ... who said it and where it was sourced from, IMO.
If done so, I dont think there is any copyright infringement.

As far as I know there is any copyright infringement unless you're going to publish on books or reviews some pics of your model...and also in that case I think there won't be any problems

Bill,
I am a little hesitant to post since legal issues do vary from place to place.

Generally if the quoted portion is less than 10% of the entire published text and acknowledgment of the source is given the copy right restrictions and payments do not apply so it would not be necessary to request permission to use it.

That is for book reviews so I am guessing the same would apply in your case.


As for reproducing the text on the name plate it may well be too long.
Perhaps a separate stand showing the text printed out might be better. That way you can put it out as needed.

I was thinking of the plexiglass / plastic / perspex items sometimes found in restaurants and coffee shops showing the menu might work for you.

I would state the text and origin. This helps add credibility as well and also saves you answering the same questions over and over.

just my 2 cents worth.

Peter.

Hi Bill,

I'm no lawyer, so my advice is only worth what you've paid for it (and is certainly NOT authoritative!), but since you aren't trying to make money from it the only issue is whether you add the person's name to the plaque. I'd say you do indeed need to indicate who it came from because one of the aims of copyright law is to keep people from "borrowing" ideas from others and claiming them as their own. If the author of the quote only ever wrote it for the book where you found it then you ought to say:

"[quote]" - Joe Bloggs, [book title in italics]

If the quote is from one of his personal letters, or some other source, and is merely reproduced in the book, then I don't think you need to name the book at all. After all, it might be quoted in a dozen different books...

The one thing that worries me is size - you need the text at a reasonable font size so folks can read it, but there's only so much room on the average model base. You might need to edit the text to make it short enough to not bore the viewer or swamp the model.

Hope this helps,

Tom

Thanks for all the input. I would prefer not to include the book title, author, etc. purely on aesthetic grounds. However, understanding the need to give due credit, I was thinking of the following (picture it as one nameplate):

Tiger Ausf. B
1/s.Pz.Abt. 503
Normandy 1944

"We came down the road from Mont Pinçon leading towards the village. There was a row of trees on the left hand side of the road. I was there with the man who fired the 2" mortar ... It [round one] went up in the air and dropped right on the crossroads where the tank was. I thought the bomb went down the tank turret and then exploded, but other witnesses say it hit the lorry. There was a big bang and then flames and that was it!" (Mont Pinçon, 2002, pp. 151-152)

- Sergeant F. Bolt, A Co., 5th Bn., D.C.L.I., 43rd (Wessex) I.D.

It is not copyright infringement unless you somehow infringe on the original creator's ability to derive income from it.

I do not think your use would be a copyright infringement.