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Query about wider reprints within a critical context

Started by SmallBlueThing(Reborn), 27 June, 2019, 11:30:24 AM

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SmallBlueThing(Reborn)

Bear with me on this. How much of a single issue of an American comic would you get away with reproducing in a printed magazine *for review/ critical purposes*?

I really love comics, as many of you know. As a "thought experiment" I was wondering about all the different editions of the same 20+ page comic strip I have in my collection. Multiple versions of The Night Gwen Stacy Died from ASM #131/122 for example. I was wondering what would be my "ultimate edition" as it were, and realised that if Marvel were ever to release every issue of ASM/ FF etc, individually (hardback or perfect bound) but with an equal amount of pages given over to critiques/ interviews etc, I'd probably buy each and every edition.

Now, Marvel aren't likely to do that. But imagine an enterprising fan publisher were to do something similar (much like in the world of Dr Who IN VISION released A4 magazines for each and every story back in the 80s, eventually covering the whole 1963-1989 period of the series. 

Obviously the imaginary publisher couldn't reprint the whole issue, but how much could they? Is it a percentage of pages? Panels? Could they reprint consecutive panels, or even a page if critiquing that sequence? Could they print an entire scene, maybe running 2-3 pages? At what point they receive a Cease & Desist?

Any ideas? 

SBT

IndigoPrime

Which countries are you talking about? Fair use law (where it exists) is extremely variable. Frankly, if I was doing anything in a commercial field, I'd want to be getting permissions.

AlexF

There are a number of art books that collect samples from comics. Mostly covers, but also the odd page of interior art, too. Of course, they may be paying a hefty licensing fee!

On that basis, I'd have thought, in theory, it'd be fair to reproduce the cover and the equivalent of 2 pages (e.g. a random set of up to 12 panels) from any given 20 page comic, fleshed out with critical analysis. Especially if those pages / panels were reprinted either in black and white, or not full size, or something else.

I am not a lawyer, but I do run a blog in which I do pretty much exactly that, and so far no-one official at Rebellion has asked me to stop!

Of course, I don't get any money from people reading the blog, and I try to credit the creators involved with every image posted.