Can I write a play based on copyrighted work? Can I use music owned by another songwriter?
Writers can adapt or incorporate someone else’s work into their own if one of the following conditions are met: (1) if the existing work is in the public domain, (2) if the use constitutes a “fair use,” or (3) if the writer has a license to do so. Without qualifying for one of these three permissive scenarios, the use of another author’s work may constitute copyright infringement.