I don't know if this is true in the UK but it is true in the US. You cannot copyright a title.

That is why there is a movie called Bad Boys with Sean Penn and another with Martin Lawrence.

Bob Seager has a song called Turn the Page.
Rush has a different song called Turn the Page.

At least in the US, anyone can write a book called This Charming Man or write a song called Stairway to Heaven.

Who actually cares about women?...Morrissey?
Huh, the second 'sex' indeed!

Bring on mop!

... the paperback version hits the shelves tomorrow, 5th March '09 in the UK.

Just plugging my employer there.

I suspected the author was a Moz fan from the title, so I scoured the hardback for any mention of The Smiths / Moz but couldn't find any, maybe she's put something in the paperback though. If anyone is interested in buying it, it's half price at Waterstones until the 11th March.

The best way I can describe Marian Keyes' writing is intelligent chick lit. I haven't read any (Kate Atkinson is more my sort of author) but Keyes' books are incredibly popular.

I would imagine the Irish connection would have helped her in getting permission from Moz, but yes, you do have to have permission from the copyright owner to use any lyrics, or a song title. However, I don't know where you'd stand if you were to call a book e.g. 'Yesterday' and make no reference to the Beatles. If a song title is so ambigious, you might be able to get away with claiming that you stuck a pin in a dictionary. There is no doubt with 'This Charming Man' though.

I do think the same copyright applies in the US, as the law is written with reference to ASCAP BMI and SESAC and all professional songwriters belong to one of these organisations.

Speaking of Moz song titles for books, there's an author called Paul Vlitos whose second novel is entitled Every Day Is Like Sunday.

Isn't intelligent 'chick lit' an oxymoron?