Can you put song lyrics on t shirts that you are making?

Yes, no one's going to sue you over your personal t-shirt because it's "de minimus," which is Latin for "too petty to bother with." But realize that the copyright of song lyrics is owned by the songwriter's music publisher, and using lyrics without a license is technically copyright infringement.

I agree with the previous lawyer. Additionally, I would just add that you should probably not market or sell the shirt with the lyrics on it.

Is this just for yourself? Is so, then I agree with my colleague, it would not be actionable infringement. If this for a commercial use even if just a hobby you need to be very careful. Even just using a quote from a song lyric may in some context be considered fair use and in others infringement. This depends on how much was used, what was used, in what context, was the author used and if so can the author bring claims of violating their right to publicity and privacy? Again, if just for personal use, you will be fine. For anything else, I suggest that you consult with a lawyer in private and discuss your objectives in more detail. You can start by calling around to several for a free phone consultation, get some insights then pick the best fit to work with. Best regards, Frank Natoli-Lapin, LLC

Using snippets from song lyrics or song titles isn't going to get you in trouble if you are making tees for personal use only (as opposed to commercial use). Even if you were selling tees, song titles can't be copyrighted, and the snippets or catch phrases of songs (e.g., ". . . and she's buying the stairway to heaven") are (a) not independently copyrighted, and (b) subject to fair use. Of course, you're much more likely to get sued if you have a commercial t-shirt enterprise, especially if you are selling tees with song lyrics outside of concerts where the bands are selling competing merchandise. In that case, you'd need to consult a lawyer and show him your t-shirt ideas before going into production.

That's sort of like asking "I'm depositing money in my bank account and I was wondering if I could take someone else's money and put it in my account." If it's two cents, perhaps. If its $2M, you go to prison. You're likely thinking of something between. Which is it, t-shirts or just a t-shirt? You said it both ways. I think you are asking because you want to sell these, not just make one for yourself. That is copyright infringement. The risk is proportional to the number of these you make. If you get the attention of the publisher of the song, the damages could be up to $150,000 plus attorney fees and expenses of the publisher in suing you in Federal Court. So, Dirty Harry has a question for you: "Are you feelin' lucky today, punk?"