Content & Fair Use Policy

Who we are

One Book Story is an independent YouTube channel (@onebookstory). Each video takes one self-help, personal finance or business book and builds an original cartoon story around its main idea. We write the characters, the plot and the jokes ourselves. The book supplies the idea that solves the story's problem. The videos are made for a family audience, so kids, parents and grandparents can watch together.

How we make a video

A video isn't a chapter-by-chapter summary. We pick one big idea from the book and write a new story where that idea gets tested: a character has a problem, things go wrong, and the book's idea helps them out. Near the end we name the book, show its cover, and pull out a few simple actions viewers can try.

Every video is commentary and teaching. We explain the idea in our own words, show it working in a made-up situation, and point viewers to the book itself.

Fair use

Some of what we show belongs to other people, such as a book's cover or a short quote from it. Under US copyright law, using copyrighted material without permission can be lawful when it counts as fair use (17 U.S.C. § 107). Fair use is a legal defence, not a licence. Nobody can declare it in advance. A court decides it case by case by weighing four factors.

1. 1

   Factor 1: Purpose and character of the use

   Our videos are new stories that comment on and teach a book's idea. They aren't copies of the book.

2. 2

   Factor 2: Nature of the original work

   The books we cover are published non-fiction. Copyright protects an author's expression, not the ideas themselves (17 U.S.C. § 102(b)).

3. 3

   Factor 3: Amount used

   We don't read the book aloud or reproduce chapters. When we quote, we keep it short, quote only when the exact words matter, and name the book and author.

4. 4

   Factor 4: Effect on the market for the original

   A video tells one story about one idea. It's meant to send people to the book, and the description links to it.

We credit the sources we rely on in each video's description and on the Sources page.

We believe the way we use these materials is fair use. That belief doesn't give us any rights, and a rights holder may see it differently. This page isn't legal advice, and other countries have their own rules, such as fair dealing. If you own something we used and you disagree, tell us. The steps are under Takedowns and corrections.

What we license

Music and sound effects

Licensed from Epidemic Sound.

Voices

The narrator and the characters are voiced with licensed voices from Epidemic Sound.

Photos

Real places, buildings, objects and documents appear as photos from Wikimedia Commons (public domain, CC0 or CC BY) or Pexels (Pexels License). For each photo we list the author, the licence and a link on that video's Sources page.

Characters

Our characters are drawn in a style inspired by Notionists (opens in a new tab), an illustration set by Zoish released under CC0 1.0 (opens in a new tab) and distributed through DiceBear (opens in a new tab). CC0 doesn't require credit, but we give it anyway.

Every script and every finished video is reviewed and approved by the channel owner before it is published.

Book covers

When a video names its book, we show the real cover for a few seconds so viewers know which book we mean. The cover belongs to its publisher and designer. Showing it doesn't mean they endorse the video.

Real people

Some stories include real people, such as a book's author or someone the book writes about. We show them only as cartoon characters with a name label. We never use photos of real people. Unless a line is shown as a quote with its source listed, we wrote it for the story. A real person appearing in a video doesn't mean they've endorsed it.

Affiliate links

Book links in our video descriptions are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Not financial advice

Our videos and this site are for education and entertainment. Nothing here is financial, investment, legal or tax advice. Stories simplify things, and the characters' choices are made up. Before you make a money decision, think about your own situation and talk to a qualified professional if you need to.

Takedowns and corrections

If you think we used your work without the right to, or we got a fact wrong, tell us. Please include:

• the link to the video, plus a timestamp if you can
• what the problem is
• for copyright: what you own, and how we can check it
• for a correction: what's wrong and, if you have one, a source

What happens next

• We read every report and reply.
• If we used your work without the right to, we remove or replace it. Depending on the case, we trim or blur a section, change the description, or take the video down.
• If we got a fact wrong, we post a correction in the pinned comment and the description, and we update the Sources page.

Contact

Email: hello@onebookstory.com

Copyright owners can also send a removal request to YouTube directly. Submit a copyright removal request (opens in a new tab)