: Re: Proper attribution of copyrighted lyrics in a story If I put several lines of a copyrighted song in my text, and mention the band name, how can I be certain that my attribution is sufficient

@Turnbaugh521

Vote Up Vote Down

IANAL, but:

If this is fiction... it's not anywhere near that easy. Song lyrics are copyrighted by their authors, and you're supposed to get permission (pay money) to use them. You can use songs that are in the public domain, but I get the feeling you want something more modern. So you'd need to track down the owners of the copyright and figure out/negotiate their fees. It's a pretty big deal.

If you're going through a publisher, they may help you with this or they may tell you that you can't use the lines. There will almost certainly be an indemnity line in your contract with which you certify that you've got the legal right to all parts of your work. That means that if the songwriter or music publishing company sues, you're on your own for the defense.

If you're self-pubbing, you need to get permission yourself.

I've seen people argue that using the lyrics comes under the 'fair use' rule, but I'm not aware of any jurisdiction that recognizes this right for fiction. You can usually use the title of the song, if that helps.

I'm not sure what the rules are for non-fiction. I think fair use has a broader scope, there, but I don't know details.

(Edited to clarify role of publisher)

(0)

Login to post a comment!