How to Determine When a Work Is Public Domain explains how to determine whether a particular work has ceased to be protected under copyright laws and has entered the public domain.

How to Find the Source of a Quote explains how to determine whether a particular work has ceased to be protected under copyright laws and has entered the public domain.

Just finding the right quote isn't enough. Editors and professors alike will want you to cite any quote you choose to use in your writing. Here's a few helpful cites to get you started.

Who Said That? -- Citing Quotes Correctly. at About.com will not only remind you to give credit where credit's due, but it will walk you through the process.

How to Cite a Quote From an Online Source is another helpful guide from About.com.

Even when you have an agent or an attorney, it's important for every writer to be knowledgeable about copyright law. This section is about copyright issues and there are a wealth of sites to help you learn all you need on the subject.

I have also included music-related sites. There are many songwriters who need to know about copyrights. As a writer/speaker/singer, it amazes me how little writers know about the legality of quoting songs in their work. Writers, speakers and singers ought to know that, when wishing to use songs or portions of songs in their work, permission for that right is almost always necessary. Also, there are fees involved here.

These sites will guide you to the music publishers and help you to understand the process, and how to protect yourself. more ...