Can I write a script where the story is based on a story from a song? I.E. That old story about "I feel it coming in the air tonight" about Phil Collins watching someone watching someone drown. Could I do a script using that story? Granted name changes are needed ect.


Also could you use the title of the song for the script title?

You can use the story of a song.  Using the title might scare someone away from making it.


Phil

So that includes stories in songs as well. A good example would be Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell I could write a script about a guy getting killed on his mortorcycle and follow the same basis as the song it self? (Granted this example it might be best NOT to call the script BOH)


I Ask because I have heard quite a few song where I get a Idea for a script from the story they are telling and didn't want to be considered a thief of there Ideas,copyright whatever.

You can write a script with the same 'story' as a song.  Story ideas are not copyrightable.


Phil

Quoted from dogglebe You can write a script with the same 'story' as a song.  Story ideas are not copyrightable. Phil

Ok,thanks. I figured that  but wanted to double check.

Some one was writing a script based on The eagles "Hotel California". I wonder what ever happened to that...

Quoted from theprodigalson Also could you use the title of the song for the script title?

Yes and no.  I had this same question a little over a year ago, and since then I've learned alot about the legal matters and whatnot.

The title of a song is a word or a phrase, and I'd say under 2% of all words or phrases are copyrighted.  Let's say the title of your script is "Beautiful Day" which happens to be the title of U2's second best song IMO.  Well, Beautiful Day is a common everyday phrase.  No one can claim ownership over it.

Some companies have tried to copyright certain phrases, but were unsuccessful.  In one of AOL's billion lawsuits a few years ago, they tried suing a small company for using "You've Got Mail" as a slogan or something.  It's mostly because the YGM  phrase(at the time, anyway) was widely recognized as AOL's thing.  AOL lost, however.  Now maybe that changed over the years, but I don't know.  P**** H**** also tried copyrighting "That's Hot" but I believe was unsuccessful because it's such a broad saying.(not 100% on the PH one, so don't hold me to it)  

So again, I'd say 98% of titles are out there for the taking.  If you were to call your script "Stairway to Heaven," one of the best songs ever made, you'd still be okay because it's a generic saying.  It was used as the sub-title heading for a horrible Crow movie a few years ago and a film in 1946, but aside from that, nothing much.  You may get dinged for lack of originality, though.  Just saying.

Song titles that probably would be infringing...Rob Zombie's "Dragula" for example.  It's not a word, it's unique...he could probably get you for that.  

One very popular movie that I think of that also has the title of one of my personal favorite songs is "American Pie."  

So, you can use song titles as the title of your script, just be careful of which you use and how you use them.  If you call your script "Hotel California" and follow the story of it you probably won't get in trouble, but people will recognize it and may call you a hack...they may...may not...