Is it all right for me to use trademarked names or song titles in my poetry?

Question

I am putting together a collection of poems for (self) publication.

Answer 1

it is best not done. Legally it is not permissible. if you still want to take a chance than make a very small imperceptible change so that you stand clear. This is constantly done by the business world. This way youj will be clear of from the copy right act.

But be cler is your aim writing potry for the joy of it or you want to make money out of it .

The links and web states that there are both free sites as well as pecuniary sites :

Carcanet Press - CopyrightsThis is the best place to buy poetry on the web, and offers a massive resource of poems, reviews and pictures for free. ... Copyrights ...

www.carcanet.co.uk/cgi-bin/scribe?show... - 10k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Understand and Use Copyright ProtectionCopyrights protect poems, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. ... You cannot copyright titles, names, slogans, or familiar symbols. ...

inventors.about.com/cs/copyrights/ht/U... - 22k - Cached - Similar pages - Note this

Answer 2

If your collection stood a chance of earning significant money, you'd have to pay for for permission, as Paul Simon did when he wrote the song "Kodachrome." However, if you're publishing an edition of 100 copies to give to your friends and not making money from it, or not making much, no one will hear about it or care; it would probably be fair use.