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Using a book for inspiration for a song

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ThornRage

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? North Carolina

I'm a singer/songwriter who just recently began copyrighting and publishing my original work on youtube.

I just finished reading an autobiography by Bruce Springsteen and near the end of one of the chapters he wrote something I found very thoughtful and deep. I took those few sentences and in some parts paraphrased and in a few verses it is almost word for word.

Those who I have played it for say it is a very moving song and I want to copyright and publish it. However, I cannot find anywhere online if what I wrote would be considered copyright infringement.

Anyone know?

Thanks!
 


FlyingRon

Senior Member
It very well could be considered copyright infringement. You can't simply paraphrase something and except yourself from copyright claims. Songs would be considered a derivative work. Whether you could copyright your derivation is independent form infringement issues.

One option would be to write Bruce and ask permissions for that passage.
 

quincy

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? North Carolina

I'm a singer/songwriter who just recently began copyrighting and publishing my original work on youtube.

I just finished reading an autobiography by Bruce Springsteen and near the end of one of the chapters he wrote something I found very thoughtful and deep. I took those few sentences and in some parts paraphrased and in a few verses it is almost word for word.

Those who I have played it for say it is a very moving song and I want to copyright and publish it. However, I cannot find anywhere online if what I wrote would be considered copyright infringement.

Anyone know? ...
I agree with FlyingRon that one option you have is to seek and acquire permission from the copyright holder if you want to use their work, or a portion of it, to create your own work. In fact, this option is recommended. It will always be best to get authorization from a copyright holder because this eliminates all risk of an infringement lawsuit.

Although short phrases generally cannot be protected under copyright laws, if a phrase is unusually creative and original and the phrase is connected in consumers' minds to a specific author/writer (as the words "born to run" are connected to Springsteen), there can be some risk of infringing on rights.

There is some risk, therefore, of taking anything verbatim from a book that is easily recognized as being from the book. Even paraphrasing creative passages could infringe. In addition and depending on the specific phrase, there could be trademark rights and publicity rights to consider.
 

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