THE Group for Authors! discussion

I wrote this in my book dedication “thanks to my dog and all the movies i’ve watched and ofc you, thank you for reading—and even if u dont read it, just remember spidey’s uncle said “with great power comes with great responsibility” <- ofc i did not write it that way with all the wrong spellings and grammar error

Can I keep it in my book without getting sued

"With great power comes great responsibility" is an adage popularized by Spider-Man in Marvel comics. At the very least you should give it an attribution credit. It is an "idea" that has been touted by many people over centuries so I don't think it will be called out. But should you get a letter to remove the quote you can always remove it in the update features of Kindle Create.

I doubt that you can be sued for quoting six words without attribution. But of course, I could be wrong. Please consult the experts at the Authors Guild.

I think you can be sued. But why not just say who said it?

If you put in the quote in the dedication page, in quotes and with attribution, it is not a problem. Authors often use a relevant quote after the title page.
However, you are correct to state that it was popularized by Marvel's Spider Man comics, rather than coined by them. It has actually been attributed to both Hansard and Voltaire, which would put the quote in public domain. If you used it from those sources, you would still attribute it.

character or author proper way

When I checked the source: the Bible and Churchill

Winston Churchill, in 1906: “Where there is great power there is great responsibility, where there is less power there is less responsibility, and where there is no power there can, I think, be no responsibility.”
I'd say you would have done well to check that when you decided to use the wording, but my experience tells me that any court, if you were sued, would find this fair use. Ask an attorney, they probably wouldn't charge you. And note that anyone can be sued for anything.
Look into copyright regulations as you continue to write books. You'll be surprised at what you learn. At OnText.com, there are several articles that explain the rights from a creative's point-of-view.
For me, it's always better to err on the side of caution and always best to be clear about where you get your quotes and ideas if they are not original. It can't hurt you at all, gives you credibility, and respects the work of others.

Maryann,

As an English teacher, I have to say that I like your response and love your last paragraph. When the work is not your work, you always give the credit to the owner of the writing. Giving the credit to the owner always gives the writer credibility and respect.

Judy wrote: "Maryann,

As an English teacher, I have to say that I like your response and love your last paragraph. When the work is not your work, you always give the credit to the owner of the writing. Giving..."

We owe it to ourselves as an industry.

If the quote is used give credit to the source. In this case Winston Churchill.

It's not a totally accurate quote from Churchill, though.

Why not credit the source? You would want that same respect. It's not about lawsuits. It's about character and accountability.

Samantha wrote: "I wrote this in my book dedication “thanks to my dog and all the movies I’ve watched and ofc you, thank you for reading—and even if u don't read it, just remember Spidey’s uncle said “with great pow..."

Normally no one will care so much unless you sell some 100000 copies of your book. just in case, always be cautious.

Give attributes and you will be fine.

If Marvel sends lawyers after you, and you have not sold a lot of books, they will be spending a lot more on their lawyer's fees than what they can charge and penalize you for. They are not stupid.

Still, USA laws are much more stringent, so always be cautious and use the quote in such a way that you are not legally implicated. If you are in a dilemma, drop the quote. Better to create a new quote yourself rather than copying someone else's. You are a writer, create something new.

Why take the headache for a few words or a line?