Can Lyrics to a Popular Song be Quoted in a Novel?
The use of popular songs is one area which can be a real danger zone. Musicians and recording studios do not usually take kindly to the lyrics of popular songs being reprinted anywhere without their permission. If a writer has a burning desire to use lyrics of a current song or one still under copyright, the author must write to the copyright holder and ask permission. This can cause lengthy delays. Many times the request gets shuffled from department to department and no one responds, leaving the author in limbo. document.getElementById(‘adsense_placeholder_2’).innerHTML = document.getElementById(‘adsense_ad_2_hidden’).innerHTML; While using song lyrics verbatim is risky, many times a writer can get the same effect by simply mentioning the song or singer in a more general manner. “An old Barry Manilow song was playing on the radio that brought back a host of nostalgic memories about falling in love.” In this way the same effect has been created without using the actual lyrics to any o
