You've heard quotes and sayings all your life. You decide to use the quote or saying in your screenplay. How do you find out if it's copyrighted? So, "Make My Day" and send me some comments.
Screenwriting : Make My Day! - Quotes you've heard - Copyright Issues by Alan B. Cox
Other topics in Screenwriting:
Check out Trending Discussions
Register / Log In
If someone else wrote it, it's copyrighted. There may be some movement in "fair use" of a particular phrase though. I'm sure more legal-minded folk on here would know better than I.
You can only make some ones day everyday when you make Labor Day every Day.
2 people like this
In general... titles, names or phrases are not protected under copyright. However... a title, name or phrase may be trademarked. Or there may be legal considerations for something deemed "sufficiently original" meaning it is outside the general, natural use of language. Or there may be considerations if there is due cause for market confusion. Nonetheless, well-known phrases from films have become part of pop culture and have become common knowledge. They are referred to quite often in life and in film. Dirty Harry's "Go ahead, make my day" has been used in films; for example, a character may impersonate or reference "Dirty Harry" just to make a joke. That's perfectly fine. Anyway, again, in general, referencing a quote or a phrase in your screenplay typically is fine. But it may depend... So always double check. Search the US Patent and Trademark Database for registered trademarks if need be. ;) Hope that helps!
3 people like this
Also here's the definition for Fair Use: (in US copyright law) the doctrine that brief excerpts of copyright material may, under certain circumstances, be quoted verbatim for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research, without the need for permission from or payment to the copyright holder. Or: https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html. ;)
Great job Beth. That's what I was looking for.
Logline posted.