Using a list of song titles on a poster

[ronishwartz]

Jurisdiction

Other

I just read a great article on this website, by Michael M. Wechsler, on the use of song titles and movie-titles (Are Song Titles & Lyrics Protected by Copyright or Trademark Law?)

I still have one very important question with regards to it : What happens if I design a poster (for sale) which contains a list of famous titles (for example : "The greatest hits of the 1970s" or "The greatest movies of all times")

The poster is actually a list of the 100 greatest hits of the 1970s (different songs, by different artists)

Can that be considered an infringement of either copyright or trademark laws ? Can I be sued by one, or many of the artists, for selling a product that contains the name of their song, alongside dozens of other songs ?

What if the poster design is not sold commercially, but given free ?


Thank you, Roni

 

[army judge]

Can that be considered an infringement of either copyright or trademark laws ? Can I be sued by one, or many of the artists, for selling a product that contains the name of their song, alongside dozens of other songs ?

If you have any doubts about commercializing anything, you would be wise to consult an attorney.

What if the poster design is not sold commercially, but given free ?

Even appropriating something which might be "protected' could be problematic.

Again, do that which you resist, consult an attorney or two near your county of residence.

The Internet is not equipped to provide legal advice.

You can educate yourself, not insulate yourself.

 

[adjusterjack]

Can that be considered an infringement of either copyright or trademark laws ?

Sure. It can be considered so by the owner of the title.

Can I be sued by one, or many of the artists, for selling a product that contains the name of their song, alongside dozens of other songs ?

Yes, you can be sued. Or maybe what you really want to know is can you be successfully sued. Is your poster worth the tens of thousands that you will spend on a lawyer to defend you against an infringement lawsuit.

What if the poster design is not sold commercially, but given free ?

Then why bother doing it? There are already many such lists.

My take on this whole infringement thing is if you have to ask you are probably crossing the line or about to and you should get consent or just don't do it.

 

[zddoodah]

Can that be considered an infringement of either copyright or trademark laws ?

I'm going to ignore your use of the word "considered" in light of the fact that lots of crazy folks "consider" the Earth to be flat, the moon landing to have been faked, "chemtrails" to be a governmental scheme to poison the general population, etc. With that in mind: Copyright, no. Trademark, probably not. As one of the prior responses mentioned, there are hundreds of "greatest hits" lists online and in print. Your proposed poster doesn't sound any different.

Can I be sued by one, or many of the artists, for selling a product that contains the name of their song, alongside dozens of other songs ?

Absolutely. Anyone can sue anyone for anything.

What if the poster design is not sold commercially, but given free ?

Then you won't make any money.