sitatrett

Sitatrett, or the right to quote, is a legal principle in Norwegian copyright law that allows the use of short excerpts from copyrighted works without the author’s permission under specified circumstances. It is intended to facilitate criticism, review, news reporting, teaching, and scholarly analysis by permitting limited quotation from a published work.

The quotation must be necessary for the stated purpose and not exceed what is reasonable in relation to the work as a whole. Key requirements include identifying the source and the author, reproducing the quotation accurately, and avoiding any distortion of the original meaning. The quoted material should not substitute for obtaining rights to the work, and the work quoted must be lawfully published; unpublished works are generally not covered by sitatrett. The context matters: journalism, literary criticism, academic analysis, and classroom instruction are common legitimate contexts.

Limitations exist: sitatrett is not a blanket license and can be restricted by licenses or contractual agreements. Longer extracts or the complete reproduction of a work typically require permission. Paraphrasing is commonly used as an alternative, but proper attribution remains advisable.

In practice, sitatrett supports public discourse and scholarly work while balancing the rights and interests of creators. When in doubt about the scope or length of a quotation, obtaining permission or seeking legal guidance is recommended.