Hey guys i have an idea for NANOWRIMO where the chapter titles are song lyrics. so each chapter header is the next line in the song if that makes sense? Am I breaking copyright/plagiarism laws with this? thanks guys
Short answer, yes if the song is later than 1923. http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/10/lyrics-in-books/ Personally, I think it would be a bit of an affectation, but I can see how it might work.
I'm not sure, but probably not. However, follow my link, read the responses and make up your own mind.
Yes, it would violate copyright laws. But if you really want to write it, go ahead and write it. If it turns out brilliantly, you can investigate getting permission to use the song lyrics in this manner. As far as whether it matters if you publish it, kind of. In a practical sense, if it's not published, who is going to see or know that there was even a copyright violation? If it's as part of an artistic exercise, you *might* be able to argue an fair use/educational use exception. (And, if it's never published, again, who's going to find out?) Also, "published" means more than just traditionally published, printed, and offered for sale. "Published" can mean available on a blog site or something. If the story remains in your computer, and you print it out, read it yourself, and maybe a few friends read it, I don't believe (I haven't researched that particular point, so I can't be absolutely certain) that constitutes "publication." Although again, that sort of use would really be a mental/intellectual exercise which should be covered under an exception.
As @chicagoliz points out, plagiarism and copyright infringement are two different things. NaNoWriMo more than likely has some rules on plagiarism that might apply. I'm not sure where copyright comes in when you turn that piece into NaNo, I don't think it gets put into the public realm just by sending it to them.
A few years ago there was a fashion for newspapers to give away a compilation CD so, being a cheapskate, I built my CD collection thus...one thing in particular was there was no Beatles and no Rolling Stones...bearing in mind that the Stones appear to be VERY hard-nosed when it comes to leasing their lyrics, this is no major surprise. Probably most other artists would be more understanding. The BBC TV show "Spitting Image" wanted to reword Sting's "Every Move You Make" with some anti-war lyrics (copyright includes the notes as well)...he not only gave permission, but performed it for them.
The differences between plagiarism and copyright infringement are pretty simple, although the two acts are often done simultaneously: plagiarism is to claim credit for something you did not do; copyright infringement is to distribute information without the consent of the person who created the information, unless it is in the public domain or you are using it fairly. You can infringe on copyright without plagiarizing. (Example: upload a copyrighted book to a filesharing site. No one but the author claims credit for writing it, but it is still being shared with people without the author's consent.) You can plagiarize without infringing on copyright. (Example: write a scientific paper that presents the results of a study done by someone else as if you were the one to do that study.) plagiarism is purely an ethical and social construct; copyright infringement is a legal construct. If you quote song lyrics, then all it takes to avoid plagiarism is to include a note stating which song they are from and who wrote them. Copyright is a different matter entirely. I personally think it makes no sense to call that copyright infringement, but unfortunately, that is a legal issue, and I am not an authority on the law.
IIRC with regard to reproducing song lyrics being copyright infringement, it very much depends on the artist / record company involved as to how strictly they enforce it.
Sorry, I am late a bit with my answer, but just cannot stand aside. The lyrics copyright law also depends on the origin country of record studio. http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/ukcs/docs/edupack.pdf - UK copyright service.
