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Song Lyrics In Story

DG Hear

DG Hear

My Friend Kipper
Joined
Jun 14, 2005
Posts
6,689
Does anyone know what the criteria for including Song Lyrics in a story on Lit is? I have wrote a few stories using the lyrics of different songs. I was questioned by another author saying you can only use 25% of a songs lyrics.

I want to do a story using a couple of songs. I want to make sure before I start it that it will be accepted at Literotica. Can we use copywrited material as long as we say who's sang said song or what needs to be said, if anything?

Just lyrics from oldies but goodies type songs.
Thanks DG Hear
 
DG Hear said:
Does anyone know what the criteria for including Song Lyrics in a story on Lit is? I have wrote a few stories using the lyrics of different songs. I was questioned by another author saying you can only use 25% of a songs lyrics.

I want to do a story using a couple of songs. I want to make sure before I start it that it will be accepted at Literotica. Can we use copywrited material as long as we say who's sang said song or what needs to be said, if anything?

Just lyrics from oldies but goodies type songs.
Thanks DG Hear
Click to expand...

Actually I think you need permission from the holder of the copyright to use the whole song. I think partial songs are okay, and you should still credit the author.
 
Example

drksideofthemoon said:
Actually I think you need permission from the holder of the copyright to use the whole song. I think partial songs are okay, and you should still credit the author.
Click to expand...
I write a story saying I'm dancing with my girlfriend and they are playing "Just as much as ever" It's a song from the sixties. I start singing along to the band playing this song. The words say what I'm not capable of.

Who do I credit and how? I can go on a lyrics web site and copy them. I've done it before but maybe I just got lucky. I want to do it right and within the guidelines.
DG
 
DG Hear said:
I write a story saying I'm dancing with my girlfriend and they are playing "Just as much as ever" It's a song from the sixties. I start singing along to the band playing this song. The words say what I'm not capable of.

Who do I credit and how? I can go on a lyrics web site and copy them. I've done it before but maybe I just got lucky. I want to do it right and within the guidelines.
DG
Click to expand...

Usually the lryics site will give the songwriter(s), credit them at the end of the story.

Here's what I did, and this isnt a plug for one of my stories, just go to the third page and scroll down to the end of the story.

click here
 
Thanks!!!

drksideofthemoon said:
Usually the lryics site will give the songwriter(s), credit them at the end of the story.

Here's what I did, and this isnt a plug for one of my stories, just go to the third page and scroll down to the end of the story.

click here
Click to expand...
Maybe I'll try that. A group of us did 'A Bed Of Roses" and we gave credit at the beginning of the story. The whole song was posted. I've done it about three other times in stories using parts or maybe a verse and a chorus of a song.

Lately when I think of stories I have all these songs going through what mind I have left. They seem to say what I want to but do a much better job at it.

I think I'll try listing the credits at the end of the story. Hope it works.
As far as getting people to read your story, there is nothing wrong with that when you help them. I was assure you I will be reading it and again,
Thank you
DG
 
Yikes! I didn't even think about copyrights. I've mentioned several song titles, no lyrics, though. "Song" played as she walked by, etc. Do I need to credit anyone for that?
 
glynndah said:
Yikes! I didn't even think about copyrights. I've mentioned several song titles, no lyrics, though. "Song" played as she walked by, etc. Do I need to credit anyone for that?
Click to expand...

If you just mention the name of a song offhand, like that, you don't need any credit or anything else. You should put it in quotation mards or italics, but that's just a matter of style.
 
It's not 25%, it's 50%. Laurel called me on that one, when I used a whole song.
 
SelenaKittyn said:
It's not 25%, it's 50%. Laurel called me on that one, when I used a whole song.
Click to expand...

I'm surprised it would be that much. Do you mean that if a song has four verses, and you use one verse, whole, just as written, that is okay with everybody?

Of course, some songs are in the public domain, and you can use them with impunity. :cool:
 
Boxlicker101 said:
I'm surprised it would be that much. Do you mean that if a song has four verses, and you use one verse, whole, just as written, that is okay with everybody?

Of course, some songs are in the public domain, and you can use them with impunity. :cool:
Click to expand...

Yep, Lit lets you use 50% of the entire song. So if there are four verses, you can use 2, actually. But not OVER two.
 
SelenaKittyn said:
Yep, Lit lets you use 50% of the entire song. So if there are four verses, you can use 2, actually. But not OVER two.
Click to expand...

Well that stinks on ice!

I have a story ready to go that uses three verses of a song, two in the seduction scene. Maybe if I leave a line out of one it'll be ok?

I give credit at the end for the songs I used.

I checked on copyright criteria and it said if you don't profit from using the lyrics and don't use all of them, then it's permissible to use them in your story.

Is this 50% rule written down somewhere?
 
No

glynndah said:
Yikes! I didn't even think about copyrights. I've mentioned several song titles, no lyrics, though. "Song" played as she walked by, etc. Do I need to credit anyone for that?
Click to expand...
No, you're ok! It's just if you copy the song in your story. If you said 'Ford' or 'Chevy' it means nothing, it's just a car. Same with the song. 'Where The Boys Are', 'Precious Memories' they are song titles, My problem is having my character sing the song to his date while he's dancing with her.
So, keep your panties and and don't worry. (pun of course)
DG
 
Ok Box

Boxlicker101 said:
I'm surprised it would be that much. Do you mean that if a song has four verses, and you use one verse, whole, just as written, that is okay with everybody?

Of course, some songs are in the public domain, and you can use them with impunity. :cool:
Click to expand...
How do we determine public domain? I'm talking old songs here. 50' 60' 70's.

Miss Kitten - What about this 50% rule? If you give credit at the end is it still 50%?

As I mentioned 'Bed of Roses' we posted the whole song. I'm still confused here. I also did all of a couple of songs but broke the verses down throughout the story. Any other thoughts here?
DG
 
DG Hear said:
How do we determine public domain? I'm talking old songs here. 50' 60' 70's.

Miss Kitten - What about this 50% rule? If you give credit at the end is it still 50%?

As I mentioned 'Bed of Roses' we posted the whole song. I'm still confused here. I also did all of a couple of songs but broke the verses down throughout the story. Any other thoughts here?
DG
Click to expand...

Your definition of "old songs" is not the same as mine. I am thinking in terms of the 19th century. This link might help.

http://www.menc.org/information/copyright/copyr.html#duration
 
Hmmm?

Boxlicker101 said:
Your definition of "old songs" is not the same as mine. I am thinking in terms of the 19th century. This link might help.

http://www.menc.org/information/copyright/copyr.html#duration
Click to expand...
I'm talking pre-1978.

Duration of Copyright
The duration of copyright has changed several times as Congress refined compromises over the law. Currently, a teacher can generally presume that a work copyrighted less than 95 years ago is still covered by the law. Here are how the details work:

Works created after January 1, 1978 will be protected for the life of the composer (author) plus 70 years.
Copyrights in effect on that date, if renewed, will continue for 95 years from the date copyright was originally secured. Renewal became automatic for all works that first obtained US copyright in 1964 or later, so those works in their initial 28-year period of copyright on January 1, 1978 could have been or now can be renewed for an additional 67 years, while the copyright of works in their renewal term on that date were automatically extended for an additional 19 years, and, if still in copyright on October 28, 1998, again for an additional 20 years, for a total of 39.

Do we have a lawyer/writer who can explain this stuff. May have to go with the 50% rule and give credit at end of the story to get protected here.
DG
 
Can you ellipse part of it? For example:

He sang the words "Blah,blah,blah..." and continued while he did other naughty things, "...blah,blah,blah."

Leaving out bits and pieces, still giving the gist of the song without a verbatim repetition.
 
TE999 said:
I checked on copyright criteria and it said if you don't profit from using the lyrics and don't use all of them, then it's permissible to use them in your story.
Click to expand...
I'm surprised no one caught this. As long as you don't make a profit (and a prize if you're story wins a contest wouldn't make a blip in anyone's radar), there's nothing wrong with using song lyrics. If you publish a story, that's a different matter. Lit can make any rules it wants, but they are just "house rules". In the only story I've written so far with song lyrics, I credited the band, but not specifically the writer. NIN can sue me if they're pissed. :cool:
 
Gly,n

glynndah said:
Can you ellipse part of it? For example:

He sang the words "Blah,blah,blah..." and continued while he did other naughty things, "...blah,blah,blah."

Leaving out bits and pieces, still giving the gist of the song without a verbatim repetition.
Click to expand...
You're fine don't worry. It's not the copy write I even worry about. We can always say who wrote it at the like Box says.

Does Lit still go by the 50% rule? Even if credit is given?

S-Des Said:
I'm surprised no one caught this. As long as you don't make a profit (and a prize if you're story wins a contest wouldn't make a blip in anyone's radar), there's nothing wrong with using song lyrics. If you publish a story, that's a different matter. Lit can make any rules it wants, but they are just "house rules". In the only story I've written so far with song lyrics, I credited the band, but not specifically the writer. NIN can sue me if they're pissed.


My story would be no more then a dot on a pimple of a moles ass. I agree, no-one is going to sue over a few lyrics in a story. Just hate typing it all up and then get refused. Thank you all for your comments.
DG
 
I wasn't worried about my story. I was making a suggestion about your concern. I just used a few song titles as atmosphere, nothing more than that and I've done that frequently in the past.
 
S-Des said:
I'm surprised no one caught this. As long as you don't make a profit (and a prize if you're story wins a contest wouldn't make a blip in anyone's radar), there's nothing wrong with using song lyrics. If you publish a story, that's a different matter. Lit can make any rules it wants, but they are just "house rules". In the only story I've written so far with song lyrics, I credited the band, but not specifically the writer. NIN can sue me if they're pissed. :cool:
Click to expand...

If you use someone else's work within yours, you should really take the time, and make the effort to give them credit. It's the right thing to do.
 
I have only used song lyrics twice in stories. :D One time, I described doing an impersonation of Elvis Presley, and all I mentioned were the song titles. In the other one, I described having sex with a woman with a CD by Barry White in the background, and I tied our actions to the words of the specific songs. :nana: They were both fun stories to write, but neither of them has gotten many views or anything else. :(

I didn't credit the writers of the songs, but I did name the recording artists.
 
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Lyrics

Boxlicker101 said:
I have only used song lyrics twice in stories. :D One time, I described doing an impersonation of Elvis Presley, and all I mentioned were the song titles. In the other one, I described having sex with a woman with a CD by Barry White in the background, and I tied our actions to the words of the specific songs. :nana: They were both fun stories to write, but neither of them has gotten many views or anything else. :(

I didn't credit the writers of the songs, but I did name the recording artists.
Click to expand...
I've done quite well using lyrics in my stories. Some of my best comments are from some of the readers commenting on the songs.
One story I named 'You don't Know me" I broke the song down throughout the story and talked about how it was the same as my characters life.

'Bed of Roses' we used the whole song but gave credit.
I also used 'Precious Memories' in the same story. I broke it own into parts.

A story I wrote recently had 'There I said it again' and another song I don't recall at the moment. It was the story where another author told me 25% So I cut the lyrics down to one verse and one chorus.

It's why I brought up this thread. I just started anouther story and I was using 'When I fall in Love" by the Carpenters. 1984
DG
 
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I've heard the Lit 50% rule more than once, meself. I checked into it when I was writing Home by the Sea. All the lyrics are in that one, but some are a little out of sequence, and some are paraphrased into the narration/dialogue. They're actually the basis of the story, rather than something happening in the story.

Which reminds me, I really need to get that one re-edited too...
 
I use song lyrics in plenty of stories across many online sites and never had a problem.

If you keep one thing in mind... the song is NOT the story so do not allow it to become a crutch... you won't even get close unless the song has very few lyrics.

This is the story where I used the most lyrics but I used three songs and by the time I got to this I realized how little of the songs I actually needed to get the point across.

http://www.literotica.com/stories/showstory.php?id=186867
 
I have some song lyrics in a thing I'm working on, just a chorus and credited to the artist. If Three Days Grace wants to sue me they can have every dime I've made from the story.
 
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