Joke Copyrights

April 20, 2006 11:29 AM

I'm looking for information on joke copyrights -- specifically, what is considered fair use? Any links to resources on the subject would be appreciated.
posted by paulrockNJ to writing & language (4 comments total)

What do you mean? Are you retelling someone else's jokes word for word? Because that's the only way I see copyright being an issue. If you're reciting Eddy Murphy's RAW in front of an audience for money, yeah, you may have an issue. If you're telling everybody at the office the one about the nun, the kumkwats, and the cuban missle crisis, I don't think you have anything to worry about.
posted by cosmicbandito at 11:46 AM on April 20, 2006

I'm trying to find out what the rules are for republishing jokes in a mainstream media publication.
posted by paulrockNJ at 11:54 AM on April 20, 2006

Unless you can provide more info, republishing copyrighted works in a commercial widely-available medium for profit is pretty clearly not fair use.
posted by falconred at 11:57 AM on April 20, 2006

If you change the wording, I think you should be OK. It might be considered plagiarism though if you didn't credit the original author.
posted by delmoi at 12:26 PM on April 20, 2006