On Killing Me Softly

Thank you for this article. A friend posted this song on Facebook this morning, as it is Roberta Flack's birthday (a career maker, indeed!) And this prompted me to do a little research on this song's history. I, too, had learned the story of it being inspired by Don McLean, who is from my hometown.

As for your question about writers' credit, according to copyright law, one cannot copyright an idea or a title. What can be protected are things in a 'fixed medium', i.e. written down. This is why Ms. Leiberman was able to co-opt that previously-used title. And, if Mr. Gimbel set the ideas in her poem to his own words, then he is credited correctly.

Thank you again for this story.

chris scollard
NY