Right of Publicity: Naming Names In my last article, I discussed Copyright basics. I’d like to reiterate that just as someone else must obtain permission from you to reproduce your work, you must similarly oblige. Let’s say that you have a scene where your heroine is serenading the hero on guitar with “Just The Way You Are” by either Bruno Mars or Billy Joel. In order for you to use any lyrics from that song in your novel, you must get permission from the copyright owner (Billy or Bruno) unless the material is in the public domain and not subject to copyright protection. This is true even if you give them attribution. Licensing music lyrics can be awfully expensive, so you’re better off naming the song title for free than paying them all of your royalties. The same rule applies to text or quotes. Generally, works published before 1...
