[ItsNnicholas]

Can I use word from a song? I know you might get sued from copyrighted songs in an album, but what about songs that aren't really popular. Some songs that aren't good enough to be in the album have really awesome quotes. Hope you guys could help!

 

[binki]

If they are not that good maybe they don't have enough money to sue you.

Maybe you can offer to license their lyrics on shirts and give them a buck a shirt?

 

[ItsNnicholas]

Well, I don't mean songs that aren't good enough. I mean songs that are made by Drake (the rapper, singer) that have really cool quotes in some of his songs that aren't in his album (If they aren't in his album they aren't copyrighted)

Hope this clears things up!

 

[binki]

(If they aren't in his album they aren't copyrighted)

Hope this clears things up!

dude, you are so asking for trouble.

 

[ItsNnicholas]

dude, you are so asking for trouble.

Trouble? They aren't copyrighted so I think it might be okay but I just wanted a second opinion...

 

[smclean06]

Who says if they aren't on his album they aren't copyrighted?

ANYTHING that is written down is automatically copyrighted. As soon as he wrote the lyrics, they belonged to him.
Just because they aren't REGISTERED doesn't mean you can steal his words.

Can you use words from a song? No.

 

[kimura-mma]

Sarah's pretty much on target here. It doesn't matter if the song is on an album and it doesn't matter if the song isn't very popular. The lyrics are owned as a copyright by someone (performer, song writer, production company, etc) and unauthorized usage would be infringement.

 

[Solmu]

(If they aren't in his album they aren't copyrighted)

I don't know where you picked this idea up from, but it's not true at all.

 

[smclean06]

Just further reference in regards to my previous post, this is directly from the U.S. Copyright Office website:

When is my work protected?
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.

Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.”


U.S. Copyright Office - Copyright in General (FAQ)

 

[dgroves108]

Here's the way to do it, and still be legal:
use the quote from the song, but at the bottom (in smaller letters, if you want) give attribution:
name of artist, name of song

that should make it a quote, not a theft.

 

[kimura-mma]

Here's the way to do it, and still be legal:
use the quote from the song, but at the bottom (in smaller letters, if you want) give attribution:
name of artist, name of song

that should make it a quote, not a theft.

Sorry, but this is not a legal way to infringe on intellectual property. In publication, this may be ok. But when used on t-shirts, it's still infringement. It requires license or permission to legally use existing IP.