You dropped a few lines of a favorite song into your intro because they felt right. It doesn't feel like stealing. It just feels like building. Here's why that's the first line to look at before you sell.
Last updated: October 2026 · By Gen X Still Standing
Treat song lyrics as off limits in anything you sell unless you have the right license. Lyrics are among the most actively enforced intellectual property. Even brief quotations have led to costly legal disputes.
Song and album titles generally aren't protected by copyright. It's the lyrics that create the risk.
There's no fixed number of words, seconds, or percentage that automatically counts as fair use. Even a brief excerpt can matter when it captures the most recognizable part of a song.
The price tag matters too. Charge even five dollars and you're in the commercial marketplace, and commercial purpose is one factor courts weigh.
In Williams v. Gaye ("Blurred Lines"), a jury found in 2015 that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams infringed Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up." It was affirmed on appeal in 2018. The final judgment awarded Gaye's estate roughly $5 million plus 50% of the song's future songwriting and publishing royalties.
The decision was highly fact-specific, not a rule that a song's feel is copyrightable. Now picture a publisher finding actual lyrics, word for word, in a paid course.
In Concord Music Group, Inc. et al. v. Anthropic PBC, music publishers allege an AI chatbot reproduced song lyrics without permission (disputed and unproven). The point is the detection. Major rights holders have automated systems scanning for unauthorized use, and they don't care how small your audience is.
Lyrics are one of seven content types the book flags as high risk. What to put in their place, and how to handle the other six, is in the book.
Already selling with lyrics in it, or got a letter? That's attorney territory. One hour with a small-business attorney commonly runs $150 to $500.
I learned the trades hands-on and ran my own construction company in Colorado. I had to close my company down and start over from zero.
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Can I use song lyrics in my online course?
Not without the right license. Even brief quotations of song lyrics have led to costly legal disputes.
Can I mention a song title?
Usually, yes. Song and album titles generally aren't protected by copyright. It's the lyrics that create the risk.
Is quoting a line or two fair use?
There's no fixed number of words, seconds, or percentage that automatically counts as fair use. Even a brief excerpt can matter if it captures the most recognizable part of the song.
My course is educational. Doesn't that make it fair use?
Fair use is a legal defense, not a permission. You argue it in court after you've been sued.
What happened in the Blurred Lines case?
In Williams v. Gaye, a jury found that the song infringed Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up." The final judgment awarded Gaye's estate roughly $5 million plus 50% of the song's future songwriting and publishing royalties.
Educational only, not legal advice. The author is not a lawyer. For your situation, talk to a licensed attorney. Written from US law; laws vary by state and country. Built by a Gen Xer with AI, for Gen Xers.
