Fair Use[]
How does the posting of these copyrighted lyrics come under Fair Use? -- CocoaZen 13:41, 12 July 2009 (UTC)
- Here is an analysis of the four factors of fair use and how they apply to posting original English lyrics on this wiki:
- The purpose and character of the use: They're being used for non-commercial promotion of knowledge and enrichment of the general public. Many of the original English lyrics are not even made readily available anywhere to those who might want to read them. I know that I myself have come across songs with a lyric or two which I couldn't make out, and the CD jacket didn't contain the lyrics as they sometimes do, so I tried google also without success. The character of the use is to make the lyrics available where they were not as such before.
- The nature of the copyrighted work: Doesn't really apply here.
- The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole: The lyrics are being posted alone without the music that goes with them. It's not like we're hosing the actual tracks. The lyrics alone are only about a quarter of the appeal of any given song.
- The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work: Posting lyrics without the songs themselves is in no way going to stop people from buying the CDs. I can't imagine anyone saying to themselves "I was gonna buy this CD, but now that i read the lyrics, I don't need to anymore." There is absolutely no market overlap.
- So basically, the question in my mind is "how would the posting of copyrighted lyrics fall under anything BUT fair use?" — DeFender1031*Talk 09:34, 14 July 2009 (UTC)