The Intellectual Property Office has announced several changes to the UK's copyright laws. The most relevant change for authors and publishers is the extension of "fair use". Publishers and authors can now quote short extracts in creative works as well as for reviewing purposes:
"Copyright law is changing to give people greater freedom to quote the works of others. You will not need to seek the permission of the copyright owner as long as the quotation is accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgment of the source, and as long as the use is considered reasonable and fair (“fair dealing”). This is a small extension to the existing law that already allows fair dealing with copyright materials for the purpose of criticism, review and news reporting." The Intellectual Property Office
This Is UK law - for a summary of what reasonably can, and can't, be used without permission in the US see John Savage's comprehensive piece at