Via Hot Air. Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart put the GOP on notice not to use their hit song Barracuda in connection with Sarah Palin. The song was played at full volume at the convention last night after McCain's acceptance speech, but reading the TMZ item, it sort of sounds like the Wilson sisters launched a preemptive first strike, and fired off the cease-and-desist notice before that.
It'd be interesting to get a legal opinion on this. It seems to me an artist has a clear right to forbid use of their works in, say, political advertisements. But what about during what's arguably a private celebration, even when it's covered by the media? Can a copyright holder really prohibit use of their works there? What if I held a political fundraiser at my house? Would I have to worry about whose music I played during the event?
I don't recall members of Fleetwood Mac throwing legal temper tantrums when their classic Don't Stop was played at Clinton's inauguration, and I'll bet Democrats enjoy free use of any pop music they choose without fear of repercussion. One can probably count the number of musical artists sympathetic to Republicans on one hand with a couple of fingers missing, which pretty much leaves the GOP picking through songs in the public domain.
Really, this is pettiness taken to an extreme.
No comments:
Post a Comment