So, I want to use this one line in particular, but it is remarkably close to a line that is already published in a best-selling novel. Is this considered plagerism?
-
Basic Writing questions is not a crit forum. All crits belong in Share Your Work
Is this plagiarism?
- Thread starter darrtwish
- Start date
- Status
dpaterso
Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2005
- Messages
- 18,806
- Reaction score
- 4,598
- Location
- Caledonia
- Website
- derekpaterson.net
Hard to say. But if I already knew "the" line existed in a published novel, I'd write something else specifically to avoid accusations of plagiarism, which is not something I'd ever want.
-Derek
-Derek
If the line is very well known you could use it because of that. If your MC said something like, 'Make my day' I don't think it would be plagerism because it has entered common usage. Otherwise I'd stay clear of it.
http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ34.pdf
Names, titles and short phrases or expressions are not subject to copyright protection. Even if a name, title or short phrase is novel or distinctive or if it lends itself to play on words, it cannot be protected by copyright.
If you want to read more click the link I posted.
Names, titles and short phrases or expressions are not subject to copyright protection. Even if a name, title or short phrase is novel or distinctive or if it lends itself to play on words, it cannot be protected by copyright.
If you want to read more click the link I posted.
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2008
- Messages
- 13,979
- Reaction score
- 1,533
- Location
- Wisconsin's (sore) thumb
- Website
- www.firefromthesky.org
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2007
- Messages
- 2,227
- Reaction score
- 390
- Location
- Cambridge
- Website
- myromancereviews.wordpress.com
Could be literary allusion, which is fine. You can certainly begin a novel with 'It is a truth universally acknowledged...' and no one's going to call you out for plagiarising Austen.
- Status