> I think this is true today. You can have copyright on this phrase, just consider if it were the title of a song or poem.
That is not true today. You don't get a copyright on a phrase in particular if it was the title of a poem or song. For example:
"There's something in the way she moves" by James Taylor[1]
and "Something" by the Beatles[2] which starts with the same line.
James has the copyright over his song called "There's something in the way she moves" [3] and George Harrison's estate has the copyright over the one he wrote with the same title even though he probably copied it from James Taylor.
[3] Which was the first one fwiw. He thinks because he signed to "Apple Records" (the Beatles' label) they heard his one when he recorded it before it was released and that maybe gave George Harrison the idea for the line.
They have copyright oveer their respective songs, not the phrase, so it disproves your statement that you can have copyright over a phase. It can be a trademark but not be copyrighted
That is not true today. You don't get a copyright on a phrase in particular if it was the title of a poem or song. For example:
"There's something in the way she moves" by James Taylor[1]
and "Something" by the Beatles[2] which starts with the same line.
James has the copyright over his song called "There's something in the way she moves" [3] and George Harrison's estate has the copyright over the one he wrote with the same title even though he probably copied it from James Taylor.
[1] https://youtu.be/p0FJUVo-BaM?si=fGR-TOim_8FS8rkO
[2] https://youtu.be/UelDrZ1aFeY?si=UG8c-cgfpgyH3I9n
[3] Which was the first one fwiw. He thinks because he signed to "Apple Records" (the Beatles' label) they heard his one when he recorded it before it was released and that maybe gave George Harrison the idea for the line.