Is that legal? Reusing movie titles happens all the time, mostly because copyright law generally does not protect words or short phrases and titles of one-off or “single work” films (as opposed to a series or movie franchise), generally are not protected by federal trademark law.

Can 2 movies have the same title?

However, not all movie titles are unique. Over time, many movie titles have been used and reused by different movies.

Are movie titles fair use?

Generally, the title to a single motion picture is not entitled to trademark protection. This is the same for the title to single books, songs and other singular creative works.

What are the rules for movie titles?

Are you allowed to use film titles in a book?

There is not such a rule. You cannot use the movie title as a title that's all. If you refer to the movie title then just make sure you spell it right. If you are using a quote from the movie, you might as well make a footnote with a full reference to the movie (title, year of production and either director or studio).

How To Use Film Titles Creatively

What if my book title is already taken?

When it comes to copyright law, book titles are not deemed to be copyrightable. It has been decided that names, titles and other short phrases do not meet the requirements. As long as the words and phrases inside the book itself are not copied or adapted, there is no danger of copyright infringement.

Do you need permission to use famous quotes?

If you're going to quote someone's words, even if you appropriately attribute the quote to the rightful owner, you should have their permission. Many commonly cited authors don't mind having their famous lines reused, but some do, so tread carefully. Always get legal advice, or if in doubt, leave it out.

What is the most common movie title?

(Ironically, The Awakening was originally titled The Buried, but was changed to avoid confusion with the Ryan Reynolds-in-a-box movie.) In fact, 34 exact matches on IMDb (even allowing for the fact many of those are translations from other languages) puts it firmly in the running for the commonest title of all time.

Are movies copyrighted or trademarked?

Motion pictures have been protected under American copyright law since 1912. Before then, movies were registered for copyright as a series of photographs by making contact sheets from the film and registering those in the Copyright Office.

Do you have to quote movie titles?

You do not need to cite a movie if you are only mentioning the title. You DO need to cite the movie if you use ideas, themes, or quotes expressed in the film. Movie titles should be in italics, not placed in quotation marks for APA.

Why are titles not copyrighted?

Titles, names, short phrases, slogans

To be protected by copyright, a work must contain at least a minimum amount of authorship in the form of original expression. Names, titles, and other short phrases are simply too minimal to meet these requirements.

Can titles be copyrighted?

Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases. In some cases, these things may be protected as trademarks. Contact the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, [email protected] or see Circular 33, for further information.

How much of a movie is fair use?

You may use up to 10%, but no more than 3 minutes, of a single movie, TV show or video. You may use up to 10%, but no more than 30 seconds, of music and lyrics from a single musical work. You must purchase performance rights to hold a live performance of a copyrighted work.

What is the second title of a movie called?

A subtitle can either be the second, explanatory, part of a longer title, or the words that appear at the bottom of a movie screen to translate dialogue that's spoken in a foreign language. If you've got hearing loss, you might watch TV with the subtitles on, so that you can read the dialogue as it's spoken.

What famous movies have 2 in the title?

Is it legal to write a sequel to a movie?

Can I write the screenplay for the sequel to a movie if I didn't write the original movie? Bad Idea No. It's even more inadvisable to write a sequel to a movie that you don't own the copyrights to than a sequel book you don't own the copyrights to.

How do you protect a movie title?

Instead, the title is simply used to reference the film itself. Despite this, a film title can still be protected by a trade mark in other circumstances under common law. This could be where a series of films is involved or the title is used to merchandise the film.

Is it legal to use quotes from movies?

Using copyrighted material may be legal under one of these conditions: Personal Use: If you are using a movie quote for purely personal use or non-commercial use, you are probably safe: family reunion t-shirt, custom tote for your bridesmaids, drawstring bag for your youth group.

Can I use quotes from movies?

A: Lines from movies are, in most cases, neither protected by copyright nor in the public domain. Although technically, a line from a movie could be protected by copyright, it's rare that it actually happens. You see, in order to be protected by copyright, a work needs to be original.

What is the longest movie title ever recorded?

If Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Hellbound, Flesh-Eating Subhumanoid Zombified Living Dead, Part 2: In Shocking 2-D counts as a proper movie, then it probably holds the record for the longest movie title, at an ...

What is the most used word in movie titles?

A new study reports that the most common three English words in titles—of books, movies, and other media—are “new,” “report,” and “study.”

What is the funniest movie title?

What quotes can I legally use?

Quotes from ancient sages, philosophers, and famous people who have since passed are a part of the public domain. This means that anyone may use these works without having to worry about intellectual property law issues.

Can I put a quote on a shirt and sell it?

Some quotes may also be trademarked — so make sure you do a thorough search before using it for commercial use. There are some cases where using famous quotes is fine. If a quote is very general and not attributed to one person then this would be fine.

How much can I quote without violating copyright?

Quotations. There is no legally mandated number of words that can be quoted without permission (i.e., considered fair use).