Song Lyrics in Fiction and the Fair Use Doctrine

By Dorian Box In a previous post, I briefly discussed the interaction between the “fair use” exception to the U.S. Copyright Act and the use of song snippets in works of fiction, but wanted to conduct a more in-depth legal analysis of the issue. The fair use exception...

Using Song Lyrics in Fiction (and Psycho-Tropics Soundtrack)

[UPDATE: In a more recent post, I provide a detailed legal analysis of how the fair use exception to copyright laws applies to using a song snippet in a novel.] Without any particular design, Psycho-Tropics ended up littered with references to popular songs. Some...

Defamation in Fiction—What’s in a Name?

Dorian Box All writers should be aware of the risk of defamation in fiction and take precautions to avoid it, even accidentally. There are several excellent blog posts explaining tort liability (civil liability for money damages) arising from fictionalized works...

Legal Issues Facing Self-Published Fiction Writers

One advantage traditional publishers continue to have over self-publishers is access to legal counsel.  Self-published writers, here we’ll stick with fiction writers, need to be aware of and alert to potential legal issues their words can create.  That’s right.  This...

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