song lyrics & copyright laws (cd, album, best, meaning)

[2KidsforMe]

Please be carefull when posting lyrics to songs. A few lines are okay, but any more than than could be a problem. Thank you.

Please also refrain from posting images that are copyright protected. This includes album covers.

[exhdo1]

Originally Posted by 2KidsforMe

Please be carefull when posting lyrics to songs. A few lines are okay, but any more than than could be a problem. Thank you.

I woke up
Fell out of bed
Dragged a comb
Across my head

I just had to do it

[SunnyKayak]

Originally Posted by exhdo1

I woke up
Fell out of bed
Dragged a comb
Across my head

I just had to do it

was the comb on the floor?

[plaidmom]

RIAA Must DIE.

Sorry, but true. In the Modern Age and what not.

Evolve WITH us. duh.

[HeleenieWeenie]

Originally Posted by 2KidsforMe

Please be carefull when posting lyrics to songs. A few lines are okay, but any more than than could be a problem. Thank you.

Okay, will do. but in these times of Napster, PDiddy stealing 'samples'...where is the line crossed? Not trying to be difficult, but everyone takes advantage of 'advertising their interests'. We only wanna talk or discuss parts of a movie dialogue, song lyric meanings, etc. See? how can you monitor private discussions? Uh, its a little thing called 1st Amendment rights.

[2KidsforMe]

Some clarification may be in order-This request is not an attempt at censorship or abuse of power. A question was raised regarding song lyics, and it has been determined by the CD Administrator, that per the US Copyright Act, anything more than a few lines does, in fact violate copright laws, and could subject CD or even the poster to legal action. That and only that, is why I asked for your cooperation. We are a private forum, and therefore are not bound to 1st Amendmet rights like a Gov't initution would be. But, we are all adults here, and as long as the terms of service aren't violated, you are free to discuss anything you want.

[engelbach]

Originally Posted by 2KidsforMe

Some clarification may be in order-This request is not an attempt at censorship or abuse of power. A question was raised regarding song lyics, and it has been determined by the CD Administrator, that per the US Copyright Act, anything more than a few lines does, in fact violate copright laws, and could subject CD to legal action. That and only that, is why I asked for your cooperation. We are a private forum, and therefore are not bound to 1st Amendmet rights like a Gov't initution would be. But, we are all adults here, and as long as the terms of service aren't violated, you are free to discuss anything you want.

These are valid points.

About "fair usage": One can quote short sections of written works in reviews and other references without permission.

But suppose one wants to write an analysis of the lyrics to a song? Since this can't be done without citing all the lyrics, is permission required of the copyright owner, or is this too considered "fair usage"?

[Ishtar]

without trying to add fuel to the fire, the USC (which can be further restricted by state and local authorities) states:

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include —
(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

link: U.S. Copyright Office - Copyright Law

What this ends up meaning is that as long as a substantial portion of the copyrighted material is not copied, then it is not a violation of copyright law. In practice this generally means that approximately 10% of any copyrighted material may be reproduced without fear of violation as long as the reproduction does not represent a perfomable unit. This law is slightly vague and intended to favor the copyright owner. As such it is generally considered reprehensible to push the limits of this legislation. Also be aware that local jurisdiction will hold sway over any internet posts made from within its jurisdictional boundaries. This means that if your local or state legislation has stricter guidelines than those enforced by the federal government (which also hold sway as nearly every internet post crosses state boundaries) then you are bound by the more restrictive set of legislation in spite of the federal nature of any violation perpetrated.

In short, just post a few lines, don't do anything silly

EDIT:

Also to deter any arguement about 1st amendment rights, the first amendment is designed to protect freedom of speech, but it does not include:
Fighting words (including hate speech and actions) - speech or actions that present a situation of clear and probable danger
Defamation of character - libel and slander
Obscenity
Commercial speech (including copyrighted material)

All of these things may be legislated, regulated and controlled through the mechanism of our government and law enforcement entities in the United States.

This is not to say that I agree with or disagree with the way things are. It is simply how it is at the present time. If you want it changed, the best thing you can do is petition to have the law changed. If there are enough people that agree with you then it can be done. Ah, the joys of a representative democracy

Hope this helps, if anyone has any specific questions regarding the legality of any post they may wish to make, feel free to PM me, I can probably tell you pretty quickly if you are in violation or not.

Hope I didn't step on your toes, 2KidsForMe

EDIT2:
Sometimes you can get away with ensuring that any copyrighted material is credited to the copyright holder. This represents a best effort to construe reproduction of a copyrighted work as the sole property of the copyright holder. Often this is sufficient to deflect any harsh legal sanctions - but as I said, it is not a good idea to push the limits of this legislation. The situation can get a bit sticky and could cause problems for the CD forum owner(s). Please be careful

[eagle7]

songfacts.com posts the lyrics to many songs as well as many websites on the internet.I highly doubt it if they would go after anyone for prosecution but in todays world you just never know.Sometimes the govt & law enforcement do tend to go overboard to prove something & often it backfires on them.

[judy wood]

As long as we are discussing copyright infringement, if you draw a picture on say a shopping tote of a Fendi Shoe with the Fendi logo on it, is that actionable?