Can I use a phrase from song lyrics as the title of my book?
Are the lyrics "signed, sealed, and delivered" copyrighted? I want to use these words as part of the title of a book to be published and need to know if I can do so.
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1 answer
Short phrases like that can't usually be copyrighted. The link is from the US government, but I believe it to be the same for most of the Berne Convention countries. Of course you should consult your local law on this.
In this specific case, there's already a TV show by that name, so they apparently didn't run into trouble either.
If you use the phrase as part of the song, for example if you quote a verse of the song, you'll be in murkier waters. But just a title should be fine.
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