Cinema Law: How Far Can Inspiration Go?

By Gregory Korn
URL: http://www.moviemaker.com/blog/item/cinema_law_inspired_by_a_song_20090505/
Question: I’m working on a short film that was inspired by a song. I’m not including the song in the film, but some of the lines of dialogue are the same as some of the song lyrics. Do I need to seek permission to use a song as the inspiration for my film? It’s a no-budget short being made for the love of the art—not to make any money. What legal issues could come into play?