Full question:
Who owns the contents of a personal letter that I receive? If I choose to publish it, must I obtain permission from the person who sent it to me?
- Category: Copyrights
- Date:
- State: Alabama
Answer:
All letters you write are protected by copyright. However, the contents of letters you receive are not automatically confidential unless agreed upon. You can report on or reveal the content of letters you receive. If the letter lacks a copyright notice and has no commercial value, the sender is unlikely to recover damages for disclosing its truthful content. However, to stay legally safe, it's best to ask for permission before publishing. Additionally, respecting the privacy of personal correspondence is a courtesy that should generally be upheld.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.