How do I legally quote one or two lines of lyrics in a novel I plan to publish?
<p>I've been thinking about publishing my novel on SmashWords and CreateSpace after having written it five years ago. However, in a paragraph, I quoted two lines of Lyrics, but didn't give the name of the song until I got to the Author Talks about &lt;Name_of_Novel&gt; heading.</p>

<p>This song is copyright 2012 by Hal Leonard Corporation. Testimony, by Stephen Schwartz. Would it be a good idea to keep the two lines of lyrics or remove them, but still keep the name of the song in the resources heading?</p>

<p>Where and how you reproduce the lyrics in the book or how to point out the title of the song that contains the lyrics doesn't matter; simply printing two lines of the lyrics can be copyright infringement, <a href="https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Fair Use (U.S. Copyright Office)</a> not withstanding.</p>

<p>It's not a good idea to risk legal action against yourself or the need to defend yourself with a Fair Use argument. Ask for permission: <a href="https://www.halleonard.com/licensing/pre_lyric_request.jsp" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Request Permission to Reprint Lyrics in a Publication - Hal Leonard Online</a></p>

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