Hopefully,
it comes as no surprise to anyone that song lyrics are protected by copyright
law. Song lyrics are protected whether
or not they are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. They are protected whether they are used with
or without an accompanying melody.
offering song lyrics without permission are violating copyright laws and
exposing themselves to claims of copyright infringement. Of course, IF you’re displaying the lyrics in
a manner that qualifies as fair use, you’re not violating any copyright laws.
But, like most fair use questions, that’s a big, shaky, and potentially messy “IF”.