Spokane, WA asked in Copyright and Intellectual Property for Washington

Q: Can I use some lyrics from an album in a zine I created of analog collages if I give credit to the artist/album?

The whole zine (magazine) is an ode to the influence and inspiration I received in my life from the album which is explained in the introduction. I've taken some of my favorite lyrics and created a series of analog collages for each lyric. I listed the credits on the end page. I have reached out to the artist but have not received any replies yet and I'm wondering if it's ok to release my publication.

1 Lawyer Answer

A: Copyright infringement requires that there be a substantially similar reproduction of another's original work of authorship. It is a fact-intensive inquiry and may be, but is not necessarily always, tied to the actual amount of copying from the original work of authorship. It may be a good idea to discuss this with a copyright attorney.

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