Wikipedia:Lyrics and poetry

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This page is a content guideline for Wikipedia, reflecting how authors of this encyclopedia address certain issues. This guideline is intended to help you improve Wikipedia content. Feel free to update this page as needed, but please use the discussion page to propose major changes.
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WP:L&P

A Wikipedia article on lyrics or poetry should have an analytical framework that describes the song and its cultural impact. This page discusses how they should be written with particular regard to the copyright implications of such articles.

To be included, works ought to fit into the framework of notability, importance and depth. A song from a b-side to a minor band shouldn't be included (see also WP:MUSIC, deletion policy).

Contents

[edit] Points to avoid

First you should bear in mind some important points to avoid:

  • Modern songwriters and poets have not released their works under an open content licence and therefore their inclusion in Wikipedia violates their copyright. Copyright usually expires 70 years after the author's death (see below).
  • In addition to the main point of not violating copyright, do not write an article that consists only of lyrics. This would be considered a primary source. It may if it is GFDL-compatible free content, be transwikied to Wikisource, but it could also be speedy deleted by an admin for lack of context.

[edit] License considerations

[edit] Copyrighted works

Quotations of the work within the analytical framework can fall into the fair use provisions within US copyright law (and to a lesser extent fair dealing and related concepts within other jurisdictions). However, how much of a song you can quote is open to interpretation, but you should avoid copyright paranoia. Examples of featured articles, of works still under copyright, which should be used as guidelines, are:

[edit] Copyright-expired works

You should include lyrics and poetry whose copyright has expired. Generally, these expire in all countries (except Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Samoa) when all of the following conditions are satisfied:

  • The work was created and first published before January 1, 1923, or at least 95 years before January 1 of the current year, whichever is later.
  • The last surviving author died at least 70 years before January 1 of the current year.
  • No Berne Convention signatory has passed a perpetual copyright on the work.

As of 2005, there are no featured articles on these, but consider the following:

[edit] National anthems

National anthems are generally considered to be a special case of fair use, if modern, or copyright expired if older. Examples include:

[edit] Wikisource instructions

If you are adding a new text on Wikisource, follow the local guidelines. Use Template:wikisource-inline at the top of the external links section to link to works on Wikisource (see the documentation). For example, use {{wikisource-inline|Anthem for Doomed Youth}} to link to the poem Anthem for Doomed Youth. This produces the line below:

[edit] See also

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