Legal Questions Regarding Song Parodies

[GreatJedi7]

1) Is it required to ask the original artist before writing and/or recording a parody? (I know Weird Al does this, so, yeah.)

2) Do you have to ask the artist's permission to sell/preform a parody?

3) Do you have to pay royalty fees to the original artist after selling a parody?

[clashcityrocker10]

No to all of those. Yes, Weird Al Yankovic does ask for permission from the original artists, but he only does so to make sure that the artists are cool with the parody on a personal level. Doesn't want to offend anyone, I suppose.

[GreatJedi7]

Ok thanks dude. I have two parodies (one of which is actually posted on this site) and i just wanted to make sure for obvious reasons.

[clashcityrocker10]

Yeah, you're fine.

[Ultimatum]

Covered under fair use.

[exploder]

man,I wish I could write parodies.
beard men rhapsody is really good by the way

[GreatJedi7]

beard men rhapsody is really good by the way

haha. thanks.

[jimhenry]

Sorry for necroing this thread. There is an important point about fair use as permitting use of a copyrighted song: the parody has to be of the song itself. There was a "parody" that had the theme of the OJ Simpson murder trial and mimicked Dr. Seuss' "The Cat in the Hat" called "The Cat NOT in the Hat!" A court found that it WAS copyright infringement because the book was a satirical commentary on the OJ Simpson trial. Here is a passage from the court opinion:

[T]he difference between parody (in which the copyrighted work is the target) and satire (in which the copyrighted work is merely a vehicle to poke fun at another target): "Parody needs to mimic an original to make its point, and so has some claim to use the creation of its victim's (or collective victims) imagination, whereas satire can stand on its own two feet and so requires justification for the very act of borrowing." As Justice Kennedy put it in his concurrence: "The parody must target the original, and not just its general style, the genre of art to which it belongs, or society as a whole (although if it targets the original, it may target those features as well)."

[exploder]

what is the other parody you have?

[GreatJedi7]

what is the other parody you have?

Grocery Store
(Parody of "TiK ToK" by Ke$ha)

(Verse 1)
Wake up in the morning feelin' like a blob,
I got my glasses
I'm out the door,
I'm gonna hit the stores.
Before I leave,
Stuff my wallet with a whole bunch of cash,
'Cause when I leave for the night,
These aren't coming back.

I'm talkin' tacos all over my toes, toes,
Diggin' gold from my nose, nose,
Flab flowing over my clothes, clothes.

(Chorus 1)
Tick tock, I'm gonna pop,
Cashier check my items out right now,
Gotta eat 'till I see the white light.
Tick tock goes my watch,
Sir, I've gotta eat before midnight.
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh,
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh.
Don't stop, make me pop,
Gonna blow my stomach up tonight,
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh,
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh.

(Verse 2)
Ain't got a care in the world,
'Cause eI broke my scale.
I'll have no money in my pocket,
'Cause I shop 'till it closes.

And now I'm really linin' up,
'Cause I got all my swagger.
But I'm not leaving this line,
Because of all of my swagger.

(Chorus 2)
Tick tock, I'm gonna pop,
Cashier check my items out right now,
Gotta eat 'till I see the white light.
Tick tock goes my watch,
Sir, I've gotta eat before midnight.
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh,
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh.
Don't stop, make me pop,
Gonna blow my stomach up tonight,
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh,
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh.

(Bridge)
I butter it up.
I chew it down.
I gotta lay on some pounds,
do ya hear me?
I butter it up.
I chew it down.
I gotta lay on some pounds,
do ya hear me?

The store don't close,
'Till I walk out.

(Chorus 3)
Tick tock, I'm gonna pop,
Cashier check my items out right now,
Gotta eat 'till I see the white light.
Tick tock goes my watch,
Sir, I've gotta eat before midnight.
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh,
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh.
Don't stop, make me pop,
Gonna blow my stomach up tonight,
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh,
Whoa Whoa Whoa-Oh.


Im also thinking about doing 'Paradise At The Donut Shop'.