Thank you very much for your help.

Thanks ever so much. I'll need to go through them to find what I need.

i asked for intellectual property laws because i thought they would cover it. if someone knows something specific, then please let me know.

thanks again.

Law on Copyright and Neighboring Rihts http://www.fips.ru/avpen/docs.htm

"Article 19. Use of a Work Without the Author's Consent and Without Payment of Remuneration
The following shall be authorized without the author's consent and without payment of remuneration, but provided that the name of the author whose work is used and the source of the borrowing are mentioned:
•(1)the quotation, in the original language or in translation, for scientific or for research, polemic, critical or informational purposes and to the extent justified by the intended purpose, of extracts from lawfully disclosed works, including the reproduction of extracts from newspaper and magazine articles in press reviews;"

"Article 4. Basic Concepts
For the purposes of this Law, the terms given below shall have the meanings specified:
…
11.disclosure of a work - means the act performed with the author's consent which first makes the work accessible to the public by publication, public presentation, public performance, broadcasting or another means;"

И поищите на http://www.garant.ru статью "Авторские права на литературные произведения" (Чупова М., "Российская юстиция", 1999, N 7). В этой статье говорится о письмах и объеме цитирования писем.