Using Song Lyrics in a story

30 Nov 2020

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

While that may be true, we have a zero tolerance stance on plagiarism of other literary content here, so it seems in keeping to extend that to "plagiarising" song lyrics in stories. Plus, in the unlikely event that somebody does take umbrage to their use and lawyers-up, the site doesn't have the resources to fight it. It's safer for the site owner to adopt a zero policy on lyrics too.

Common phrases are usually exempted. I'd like to see Lionel Ritchie claim he owns the copyright on the line "I love you" from Hello, for example

Song titles and artists are generally fine as long as they're not fanfic.

good points for sure. i didn't mean to imply that lifting lyrics is okay as long as you're under the radar--while i think it's unlikely anyone here would get sued over a brief mention of an identifiable lyric, a technically copyright-violating work doesn't have to be incredibly profitable or well-known to end up in a lawsuit. i could foresee a situation, for example, where an artist might object to having their lyric used in an adult story, and sue for that reason. i wouldn't necessarily agree with that, but they have that right.

you're right about common phrases. i think even if a story somehow identifies that lionel richie was singing "i love you," that's still almost certainly not infringing.

my main point remains--identifying that a certain song is performed by a certain artist isn't infringing, because there's no copyrightable material there. you're also correct however that while it might not violate copyright, it could potentially violate one's right in one's own self (i can't remember what that's called, in legal terminology), depending on if the artist is portrayed in a certain light. just mentioning them, however, should be fine.

28 Dec 2020

Carter USM recorded a song in 1991, 'After the Watershed', which contained the line "Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, come home you silly cow" One court case later, the track is now credited to Morrison, Carter, Richards and Jagger. 3 words was more than enough to imply copyright infringement

2 competition winning stories, 1 Famous story, a smattering of Editor's Picks, a handful of Recommended Reads and one Clitorides award are scattered amongst my stories.

One of a handful of writers to get the Omnium badge for writing in every category

For a book club with a difference... try this lesbian romp

30 Dec 2020

Quote by deviantsusie
Carter USM recorded a song in 1991, 'After the Watershed', which contained the line "Goodbye Ruby Tuesday, come home you silly cow" One court case later, the track is now credited to Morrison, Carter, Richards and Jagger. 3 words was more than enough to imply copyright infringement

i had no idea about this, but i find it interesting. i'm curious whether the melody combined with the lyrics (as opposed to just the lyrical line itself) caused the problem; whether the use of the bass riff from "satisfaction," according to wiki at least, contributed to the issue; and whether this was a UK or US court case.

i wrote my law school doctoral thesis on copyright and fair use (in fact, one tiny sliver of fair use), so there are volumes that can be said about it, and it can't really be distilled here in any meaningful way. the bottom line is this: there are tons of factors that go into whether something is okay to use, the rules vary according to the many countries from which this site can be accessed, and this site's owners could potentially be liable if something is used improperly, so if lush says don't do it, don't do it.

3 Apr 2021

nice post

4 May 2021

Quote by Liz

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Oh shit, WTF?!

Was that the winning proof when the entire prior world of The Cock fell down?

Damn… she Told it. (the lost link had a dog in it. A cat. And a dog. One of them was losing.)

4 May 2021

For realz though. I like to use “background noise” from time to time. A movie might be playing in the backdrop. It’s not accidental. The narrative says so. A song plays on. Suddenly that lyric is everything.

I’m not stealing. I’m using what we know. It’s In the Room already.

How tied up is the concept of “stolen lyrics”?

When it’s only being used as an adjective, is that okay? To color?

4 May 2021

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

While that may be true, we have a zero tolerance stance on plagiarism of other literary content here, so it seems in keeping to extend that to "plagiarising" song lyrics in stories. Plus, in the unlikely event that somebody does take umbrage to their use and lawyers-up, the site doesn't have the resources to fight it. It's safer for the site owner to adopt a zero policy on lyrics too.

Common phrases are usually exempted. I'd like to see Lionel Ritchie claim he owns the copyright on the line "I love you" from Hello, for example

Song titles and artists are generally fine as long as they're not fanfic.

Are you allowed to make reference to a book or film? As an example, could I say that me and hubby read Fifty Shades, or watched Eyes Wide Shut? Thank you. Regards, Verity

Be nice to each other

4 May 2021

Quote by verity100
Are you allowed to make reference to a book or film? As an example, could I say that me and hubby read Fifty Shades, or watched Eyes Wide Shut?

Yep. No problem. Both are usually followed by and it was boring laughing6

Please browse my digital bookshelf. In this collection, you can find 115 full stories, 10 micro-stories, and 2 poems with the following features:

* 29 Editor's Picks, 75 Recommended Reads.
* 15 competition podium places, 11 other times in the top ten.
* 21 collaborations.
* A whole heap of often filthy, tense, hot sex.

4 May 2021

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

Yep. No problem. Both are usually followed by and it was boring

Thank you Mr Wordsmith. Shows how limited my sexual experience is, I thought Eyes Wide was quite racy. Oh my, I have so much to learn. In my defence, i have never watch a porn film. Regards, Verity

Be nice to each other

4 May 2021

Quote by verity100
I thought Eyes Wide was quite racy.

I'm just teasing, hehe. Eyes Wide Shut was okay. Fifty Shades though... ugh.

Quote by verity100
In my defence, i have never watch a porn film.

You're not missing much. All that fake tan/nails/eyelashes, screeching pretend oohs and aaahhs. *yaaaawwnn*

Please browse my digital bookshelf. In this collection, you can find 115 full stories, 10 micro-stories, and 2 poems with the following features:

* 29 Editor's Picks, 75 Recommended Reads.
* 15 competition podium places, 11 other times in the top ten.
* 21 collaborations.
* A whole heap of often filthy, tense, hot sex.

4 May 2021

Quote by verity100

Thank you Mr Wordsmith. Shows how limited my sexual experience is, I thought Eyes Wide was quite racy. Oh my, I have so much to learn. In my defence, i have never watch a porn film. Regards, Verity

Kubrick can do no wrong in my view. I would still love the film even if all the sex was jettisoned.

Some of you Lushies may already know but many of you may be unaware of the short story the film was based on.

FROM WICKI:

"Rhapsody: A Dream Novel, also known as Dream Story (German: Traumnovelle), is a 1926 novella by the Austrian writer Arthur Schnitzler. The book deals with the thoughts and psychological transformations of Doctor Fridolin over a two-day period after his wife confesses having had sexual fantasies involving another man. In this short time, he meets many people who give clues to the world Schnitzler creates. This culminates in the masquerade ball, a wondrous event of masked individualism, sex, and danger for Fridolin as the outsider.

It was first published in installments in the magazine Die Dame between December 1925 and March 1926. The first book edition appeared in 1926 in S. Fischer Verlag and was adapted in 1999 into the film Eyes Wide Shut by director-screenwriter Stanley Kubrick and co-screenwriter Frederic Raphael.

The book belongs to the period of the Decadent movement in Vienna after the turn of the 20th century"

I have a copy somewhere on my shelves. Thinking about it again as re-piqued an interest. I can't remember much about the book now, only that it is quite different from the film. It is only a slim volume so tracking it down will be a major undertaking.

4 May 2021

Quote by WannabeWordsmith

You're not missing much. All that fake tan/nails/eyelashes, screeching pretend oohs and aaahhs. *yaaaawwnn*

Yes you are of course right. Although I have never seen a naughty film I am aware, albeit anecdotally, of the rather limited plots.

“Oh Mr plumber, such a big tool. Where are you going to stick it?”

“Anywhere you like. Shall I bring my mate in to help out?”

“Oh, yes please. Can my twin sister join in too?”

Owning a rather old house, I have had the misfortune of needing several plumbers’ services. None of which I really wanted inside my kitchen, let alone inside me.

Be nice to each other

4 May 2021

Quote by LucaByDesign

Kubrick can do no wrong in my view. I would still love the film even if all the sex was jettisoned.

Some of you Lushies may already know but many of you may be unaware of the short story the film was based on.

FROM WICKI:

"Rhapsody: A Dream Novel, also known as Dream Story (German: Traumnovelle), is a 1926 novella by the Austrian writer Arthur Schnitzler. The book deals with the thoughts and psychological transformations of Doctor Fridolin over a two-day period after his wife confesses having had sexual fantasies involving another man. In this short time, he meets many people who give clues to the world Schnitzler creates. This culminates in the masquerade ball, a wondrous event of masked individualism, sex, and danger for Fridolin as the outsider.

It was first published in installments in the magazine Die Dame between December 1925 and March 1926. The first book edition appeared in 1926 in S. Fischer Verlag and was adapted in 1999 into the film Eyes Wide Shut by director-screenwriter Stanley Kubrick and co-screenwriter Frederic Raphael.

The book belongs to the period of the Decadent movement in Vienna after the turn of the 20th century"

I have a copy somewhere on my shelves. Thinking about it again as re-piqued an interest. I can't remember much about the book now, only that it is quite different from the film. It is only a slim volume so tracking it down will be a major undertaking.

I too am a Kubrick fan. 2001 was a masterpiece in my humble opinion.

Be nice to each other

4 May 2021

Quote by LucaByDesign
many of you may be unaware of the short story the film was based on.

That'll be me then. Never realised. Thanks for the insight. Might have to track that down and see how it differs from what I remember of the film.

Quote by verity100
I am aware, albeit anecdotally, of the rather limited plots

Haha. In the 1970s and 80s the plots were paper thin as you describe, with those chicka chicka bow wow porn guitar riffs as soundtrack. From the 90s and beyond, plot seems to have been largely jettisoned in favour of 25-minute scenes of overindulgent actors screaming and panting as loud as they can, delivering as much emotion and excitement in the process as a run-over pizza. The 'action' speaks for itself in titles such as Double Penetration Fixation 23, lol.

Anyway. Slightly off-topic. Ahem.

Please browse my digital bookshelf. In this collection, you can find 115 full stories, 10 micro-stories, and 2 poems with the following features:

* 29 Editor's Picks, 75 Recommended Reads.
* 15 competition podium places, 11 other times in the top ten.
* 21 collaborations.
* A whole heap of often filthy, tense, hot sex.

4 May 2021

Quote by LucaByDesign

Kubrick can do no wrong in my view. I would still love the film even if all the sex was jettisoned.

Re: Eyes Wide Shut

The way he made use of (and often does) that musical interlude… I’m not sure what to call it, there’s a “score” behind the scene at the party, involves the cane tap, repeatedly. He later ques that back up again when Cruise is slightly panicked in a street (being followed, if I remember it correctly).

Hella intense. And absolutely genius how he patterned that and brought it back. The exacting arrangement of that is absolutely Einstein.

Kubrick did not ever settle for less than a complete experience. Even if you don’t care for a particular film of his can we not all agree that your were completely glued in regardless?

PS Bring back vinyl ; )

4 May 2021

Quote by 46n2

Re: Eyes Wide Shut

The way he made use of (and often does) that musical interlude… I’m not sure what to call it, there’s a “score” behind the scene at the party, involves the cane tap, repeatedly. He later ques that back up again when Cruise is slightly panicked in a street (being followed, if I remember it correctly).

Hella intense. And absolutely genius how he patterned that and brought it back. The exacting arrangement of that is absolutely Einstein.

Kubrick did not ever settle for less than a complete experience. Even if you don’t care for a particular film of his can we not all agree that your were completely glued in regardless?

PS Bring back vinyl ; )

Is this the music you're thinking of?

4 May 2021

Dewd - it says video unavailable but thank you for that regardless.

Almost fitting in a way ; )

1 Dec 2021

Bump as we've had a recent instance of this!

5 Dec 2021

Quote by Coco
In addition, if you use a song title in any work please give proper credit.

To quote song lyrics is okay, provided you quote only a snippet for illustration. But you may not use the entire song

5 Dec 2021

Quote by DonnaCupcake
Quote by Coco
In addition, if you use a song title in any work please give proper credit.
To quote song lyrics is okay, provided you quote only a snippet for illustration. But you may not use the entire song

Not for lush I'm afraid. No lyrics at all, just titles.

13 Dec 2021

Quote by DonnaCupcake
Quote by Coco
In addition, if you use a song title in any work please give proper credit.
To quote song lyrics is okay, provided you quote only a snippet for illustration. But you may not use the entire song

Unfortunately there's no "fair use" when it comes to song lyrics.

So you can't even use a snippet / single line without getting the permission from the artist!

https://medium.com/swlh/how-to-legally-quote-song-lyrics-in-your-stories-books-and-articles-b0e62510ed55

"In general, copyright protection for works created after January 1, 1978, are for the life of the author plus 70 years.

Song lyrics are copyrighted. As copyrighted material you will need to acquire permission to use them in your writing. While acquiring rights are simple in principle, the execution is problematic. We’ll go into this a little later, because if you’re thinking the way I did, you’re thinking you can skirt around the copyright issue by invoking fair use. Not so fast my fellow writer, let’s examine that first.

Fair Use

There are no specific laws regarding how much of someone’s material you can use under the fair use doctrine. For the music industry, the prevailing wisdom is that you need permission for as little as one lyric line.

Attributing the lyric and copyright to the artist, in your story, does not exonerate you from copyright infringement. Attribution is not a substitute for permission.

So answering the question, can you use a single lyric line if you attribute the line to the artists? The answer is no. You still need to acquire permission from the publisher for a single line."

29 Jul 2022

Well, damn. That's shot a hole right through the trilogy that I was planning to post here, which centres around a couple brought together by their love of music. On top of two other rejections this week, that's a real body blow.

29 Jul 2022

Quote by davepepperbury
Well, damn. That's shot a hole right through the trilogy that I was planning to post here, which centres around a couple brought together by their love of music. On top of two other rejections this week, that's a real body blow.

StarBelliedBoy did an amazing story series that brought together erotica in an epic way: Lo! Baphomet! I. Cult As Fuck. I recommend giving it a read, even if it's not your thing.

9 Sep 2022

Quote by joe71
So, to the earlier question of fair use of book and film references ... is music special, with different rules than other media? One reason I ask is that I recently published a story that referenced some jokes (i.e., content) from Seinfeld, but did not mention the show Seinfeld itself (i.e., title) specifically: it would seem that would not be allowed under the rules for music, wherein you can't reference the content without crediting the title. Is that okay for a TV show, or should I go back and update it?
Also I've been working on a story that I think may fit the Noir competition, which will have a few references to both Wonder Woman and Harry Potter. The former will reference WW's character by name, whereas the HP references will be to a couple concepts in the books but only referencing the titular character as "The Boy Who Lived". Legit, or should I make some adjustments? I want to make my story as hot as possible (of course) but also follow the rules. The references are oblique, and neither Wonder Woman nor Harry Potter are actual characters in the story.
On another note: I thought Eyes Wide Shut was a masterful tour of the sexual subconscious, at least for mainstream cinema, and a fitting swan song for the man who made it. I was fortunate to be in Europe shortly after it was released, and managed to view the uncut version in the theater. Didn't make a huge difference to the overall experience of the movie, but it did feel more complete that way. And how do you not like the last line of the film?

Not in the contest but Festively Flashing: Disrobed

Festive Flash competition entry: Amy's Mom

I get dicked by a federal agent in Recommended Read Dick Job

I pork everyone in my other Recommended Read, Pork by Northwest

Card catalog? Hard catalog! My library

9 Sep 2022

Quote by joe71
So, to the earlier question of fair use of book and film references ... is music special, with different rules than other media? One reason I ask is that I recently published a story that referenced some jokes (i.e., content) from Seinfeld, but did not mention the show Seinfeld itself (i.e., title) specifically: it would seem that would not be allowed under the rules for music, wherein you can't reference the content without crediting the title. Is that okay for a TV show, or should I go back and update it?
Also I've been working on a story that I think may fit the Noir competition, which will have a few references to both Wonder Woman and Harry Potter. The former will reference WW's character by name, whereas the HP references will be to a couple concepts in the books but only referencing the titular character as "The Boy Who Lived". Legit, or should I make some adjustments? I want to make my story as hot as possible (of course) but also follow the rules.
On another note: I thought Eyes Wide Shut was a masterful tour of the sexual subconscious, at least for mainstream cinema, and a fitting swan song for the man who made it. I was fortunate to be in Europe shortly after it was released, and managed to view the uncut version in the theater. Didn't make a huge difference to the overall experience of the movie, but it did feel more complete that way. And how do you not like the last line of the film?

legit. references are fine as long as you're not using them as characters in your story smile

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

4 Sep 2023

I am certain you can use one or even two words of a song lyric. It would be preposterous to claim that is not permitted. So how many words of a song lyric are you talking about? Is it 3, 5 a dozen? Either you can give a number or everything you say is garbage.

4 Sep 2023

Quote by Adaeva
I am certain you can use one or even two words of a song lyric. It would be preposterous to claim that is not permitted. So how many words of a song lyric are you talking about? Is it 3, 5 a dozen? Either you can give a number or everything you say is garbage.

Nobody is saying you can't use any word that's been in a song. Otherwise Lionel Ritchie's record label would sue everyone who's ever written the word Hello.

Just employ common sense. If it's a recognisable snatch from a song, don't include it verbatim, and make reference to it instead. The site doesn't have the funds to fight a lawsuit on behalf of an author who includes a chunk of someone else's work.

Determination over how much is recognisable rests with the potential claim, which depends on how famous the piece is, and how much money the claimant has (and how much they think they can win off the case). We feel it's safer not to test anyone. Hence the ruling.

Please browse my digital bookshelf. In this collection, you can find 115 full stories, 10 micro-stories, and 2 poems with the following features:

* 29 Editor's Picks, 75 Recommended Reads.
* 15 competition podium places, 11 other times in the top ten.
* 21 collaborations.
* A whole heap of often filthy, tense, hot sex.

4 Sep 2023

Quote by Adaeva
Either you can give a number or everything you say is garbage.

Lol

4 Sep 2023

Quote by Jen
Lol

what about pi? 3.14 words is the limit.

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

21 Sep 2023

So, real life question: I just used the sentence, "Don Henley is on the radio, singing about rebels being rebels." Think I can get away with it? It's nearly a direct quote of the song.

Tintinnabulation - first place (Free Spirit)
Comet Q - second place (Quick and Risqué Sex)
Amnesia - third place (Le Noir Erotique)