Is that theft?

Question

You want to review a novel on your blog, but you haven't read it. So you read thirty other people's reviews, absorb the consensus, and write your own review — in your own words.

Accepted Answer

Almost everyone trades this as fair game. Copyright protects the exact words, never the ideas behind them. You can't own an opinion about a book. Hold that thought — we're going to need it. (12% of Americans answer "Theft" — floor est.)