copyrights on quotes for a video

[ldavidson]

<p>I am making a short (5 min) audio/visual as a project with my photo club. I would like to add some quotes either as text or voice over. I want to use a quote by Rachel Carson, Alan Watts, and a few others. I see quotes on photos every day on Facebook and I wonder if these are copyrighted? I know that I can't just use a piece of copyright music without permission. Does anyone know what the rules are regarding quotes? <br>

Thanks, <br>

Linda Davidson</p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>Quotes are fine, as long as you attribute the source. No permission or royalties required. If, however, you use an entire work -- e.g. an entire poem, an entire song/tune, etc., you may need permission and might have to pay for usage. One example is the "Happy Birthday Song." Every time "Happy Birthday" gets sung in some movie, the family owning the copyright gets just a bit richer.</p>

[steve m smith]

<p>In the <a title="European Union" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union">European Union</a>, the copyright of the song will expire on December 31, 2016. The actual American copyright status of "Happy Birthday to You" began to draw more attention with the passage of the <a title="Copyright Term Extension Act" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act">Copyright Term Extension Act</a> in 1998. When the <a title="Supreme Court of the United States" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States">U.S. Supreme Court</a> upheld the Act in <em><a title="Eldred v. Ashcroft" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldred_v._Ashcroft">Eldred v. Ashcroft</a></em> in 2003, <a title="Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associate_Justice_of_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States">Associate Justice</a> <a title="Stephen Breyer" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Breyer">Stephen Breyer</a> specifically mentioned "Happy Birthday to You" in his dissenting opinion. <strong>American law professor Robert Brauneis, who heavily researched the song, has expressed strong doubts that it is still under copyright.</strong><br>

<strong> </strong><br>

(Wikipedia)<strong><br /></strong></p>

[Spearhead]

<blockquote>

<p>Every time "Happy Birthday" gets sung in some movie, the family owning the copyright gets just a bit richer.</p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

Everyone involved is dead. The royalties go to two places, neither of which is the family.</p>

[JAPster]

<p>There is a popular crime/detection show on Ion Telivision (Criminal Minds), and they use voice-over quotes at the start of every episode. They merely read the quote, and then state who said it. Apparently, in that venue, that's all that's required, at least for the quotes they use.</p>

[craig_gillette]

<p>The "quotes" are copyrighted. They may be snippets out of larger works, etc., but they are (were) copyrighted when placed in a tangible form. The internet is a swamp of infringements - seeing a quote on FB, etc., is like seeing a photo, one often never knows the source or legality, so to speak, of the post. It may well be that the use is an infringement. Many infringements go unchallenged as the owner is unaware of the problem or can't economically address the infringement. It may be fair use. It's worth looking up "fair use" and seeing if that fits the intended use.</p>

<p>One would want to avoid suggesting a quoted author endorses the "use." A well know author supportive of causes, etc., might find a use suggests endorsement where there is no endorsement. and that could be a right of publicity issue.</p>

[craig_gillette]

<p>double tap</p>

[ldavidson]

<p>Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.</p>

 

[ldavidson]

<p>Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.</p>