Hello,
I've been told that quoting a line from a movie on the internet is unlawful unless the author (the screenwriter?) is dead for 70+ years. Is that true and if so can you point me to a source to prove it?
Quoting a movie line in a forum thread
Hi eroock,
I think the advice you have been given is wrong. Judged by both UK Fair Dealing and US Fair Use provisions, quoting a line from a movie would not infringe copyright and therefore does not need the permission of the author.
Generally the law says there has to be substantial copying before it can be classed as infringement, and I don't think one line out of hundreds of lines in a typical screenplay could ever be judged as substantial. If you want to play it ultra-safe, you could make a reference to the source of the quote, but that really isn't necessary in a case like this.
I think the advice you have been given is wrong. Judged by both UK Fair Dealing and US Fair Use provisions, quoting a line from a movie would not infringe copyright and therefore does not need the permission of the author.
Generally the law says there has to be substantial copying before it can be classed as infringement, and I don't think one line out of hundreds of lines in a typical screenplay could ever be judged as substantial. If you want to play it ultra-safe, you could make a reference to the source of the quote, but that really isn't necessary in a case like this.
Advice or comment provided here is not and does not purport to be legal advice as defined by s.12 of Legal Services Act 2007