Can I use a copyrighted TV quote on a shirt that I want to sell, if I changed a few of the words in the quote?
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Can I use a copyrighted TV quote on a shirt that I want to sell, if I changed a few of the words in the quote?
Asked on October 24, 2010 under Business Law, Pennsylvania
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
Any time you ask a question that being, "Can I use a copyrighted...," the question has answered itself--you *can't* use a copyrighted phrase or quote. If you change the quote slightly, but it's still recognizable as the copyrighted original, you are very likely still in violation of copyright; copyright includes the right to make "derivative," or modified and adapted works. Someone many not simply make small changes to a copyrighted material and then use it. And if you make sufficiently large changes so as to get around or avoid copyright, then you may be ok legally, but get to the question, why bother? You'd pretty much have to make the quote unrecognizable, and at that point, there's little or no benefit to actually using it.
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