Question about attribution and about using lyrics in your work

Ellis Clover · Feb 1, 2017

The most recent existing ones seem to be at least a few months old, so I hope it's OK to start a fresh one.

I'm currently reading an Anne Tyler book in which she quotes three words of a song, and yet there's no attribution at the front of the book as you'd expect. This is not something I've come across before.

Does this suggest that there *is* actually a minimum-number-of-words threshold for reproducing lyrics lawfully? Surely if she had needed permission, she would have sought it. But if she had, and did, wouldn't there be an attribution?

Helix · Feb 1, 2017

Ellis Clover said:
The most recent existing ones seem to be at least a few months old, so I hope it's OK to start a fresh one.

I'm currently reading an Anne Tyler book in which she quotes three words of a song, and yet there's no attribution at the front of the book as you'd expect. This is not something I've come across before.

Does this suggest that there *is* actually a minimum-number-of-words threshold for reproducing lyrics lawfully? Surely if she had needed permission, she would have sought it. But if she had, and did, wouldn't there be an attribution?

I don't think you can draw any conclusions from that.

cornflake · Feb 1, 2017

There is not a minimum. How do you know it's a copyrighted song she's quoting?

The attribution may just not be printed there, or printed if it is, but it may not be. I mean if a character says, "you can't always get what you want," they probably don't need permission from the Stones. Pretty sure BB has a decent legal team.

Ellis Clover · Feb 1, 2017

That'll learn me. It turns out that it's a 19th-century folk song, not a Johnny Cash song as I'd thought.

Can I delete this thread? Apologies for wasting people's time.

Helix · Feb 1, 2017

It's not a waste of time at all! It's always sensible to check these things out.

Maryn · Feb 2, 2017

If we leave the thread in place, other people learn from it. You might consider changing the subject line to include something about old songs.

Question about attribution and about using lyrics in your work

Ellis Clover

watching The Office again

Helix

socially distancing

cornflake

practical experience, FTW

Ellis Clover

watching The Office again

Helix

socially distancing

Maryn

At Sea