: Re: In a novel that I'm writing, can a character quote a line from a movie or TV show? I've recently noticed that in a lot of pop culture reference heavy shows or movies, like Community, Suits,

@Radia543

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Copyright is copyright. There are rules that vary depending on your location, and the way in which you make use of the copyrighted material. In the US, check out the copyright law at www.copyright.gov/title17/
In general, quoting very brief parts of very long works is not going to be a problem, like a character saying "One ring to rule them all." However, quoting the entire poem, and especially making it a central part of your work, could raise copyright issues.

In general, criticism and scholarly works have more latitude to quote from copyrighted works under US copyright law, to foster academic discussion and knowledge sharing.

I am not a lawyer, and if you have serious legal questions, you should consult someone with legal expertise in your jurisdiction.

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