copyright education
Is it legal to create an online video course based on a book?
<p>I read a great book about programming and I want to create an online video course based on it. Essentially, "convert" it into a video format by explaining the things I understood in my own words, but still following the structure and order of the book. I'm not going to copy any text or images directly from the book. </p>

<p>There are several concerns I have:</p>

<ol>
<li>This seems perfectly legal since I'm creating my own original content being impressed by the book. But I'm not sure. Are there any caveats maybe?</li>
<li>Is it legal to use the name of the book in the name of my course? For example, "<em>Online course: Exploring the 'XXX' book by John Doe</em>".</li>
<li>Is it legal to re-draw in my own style the illustrations and tables and use them in the videos?</li>
<li>Is there a way to to re-write the programming code from the book, modifying it somehow to make it legal?</li>
</ol>

<p>Thank you.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>explaining the things I understood in my own words, but still following the structure and order of the book</p>
</blockquote>

<p>That sounds to me like the creation of a derivative work, at least under US law. Structure and order are protected elements of the expression of a copyrighted work, unless thy are obvious and natural, such a a purely chronological or alphabetical arrangement of items.</p>
