# Legal Question: Sound Bites

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-sound-bites/52780>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 1, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-sound-bites/52780 "2001-02-01T22:52:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sdimbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdimbert/32/20204_2.png) [@sdimbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdimbert)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-sound-bites/52780/1 "2001-02-01T22:52:15Z")

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I listen to a Classic Rock radio station in my car from time to time, and their promo spots are full of sound bites from popular songs, movies and TV shows.

So, I understand that they can play a piece of a song… I mean, they are a radio station, you know? But, how can they play sound bites from movies and TV Shows? Do they pay for the right to do that? Or is there a minimum length that they can get away with?

Anyone know?  
[sub]Bricker, where are you?!?[/sub]

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [February 2, 2001, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-question-sound-bites/52780/2 "2001-02-02T01:00:39Z")

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Quotes from movies are different from songs, which are licensed. The radio stations pay a fee for the right to play music on the air, but once paid, they can use any music they want.

Taking a movie quote is probably considered fair use, since one line is a tiny part of the movie. At the same time, I doubt it’s worth a producer’s while to try to sue over it. In any case, the stations probably don’t pay anything.