props, copyright -- (use of books in short film)

Randall_Oelerich

Randall_Oelerich

Veteran
Planning a short film where two actors (parents of kids at the beach) are reading novels, one reading a Louis L'Amour or other fiction cowboy/western novel, the other reading a romance novel. Would I get into trouble doing that, or should I create fake paperback novel covers. I don't want to get sued by a publisher? The two genres of novels play a role the film for a couple of lines, but are not the main focus of the film which is about the kids of the two parents.
randall
 
If you wanted to go to the trouble, you could design your own book jackets, using original artwork or something in the public domain. You could still use real titles and author names (the words, not the typesetting from the original book jackets).
 
The use of anything that is copyrighted, or trademarked with in another body of work could get you in trouble if they find out.
 
robertwerden said:
The use of anything that is copyrighted, or trademarked with in another body of work could get you in trouble if they find out.
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I think so too so I am taking a sort of middle of the road approach (and I might get run over!)-- the two paperback novels I am using in a short, well I sandpapered off the author, publisher, and some of the title. Cover art of course is still there, but I think legally it greatly reduces chances of a lawsuit, especially since the script does not portray the books in any bad way dramatically.
 
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