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Hard Rockers Demand McCain Stop Using Their Music

Posted by Matt Corley, Think Progress at 8:10 AM on October 9, 2008.


McCain's campaign has continually drawn the ire of musicians by using copyrighted material without permission.
foofighters

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Throughout the campaign season, Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign has continually drawn the ire of musicians by using their copyrighted material without permission. Now yet another band is complaining. Yesterday, the Foo Fighters issued a statement telling McCain to stop using their song "My Hero":

"The saddest thing about this is that `My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential," the band said in a statement. "To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song."

As ThinkProgress has previously noted, McCain's continual copyright infringement contradicts his campaign pledge to protect "copyrighted works."

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Tagged as: mccain, foo fighters, copyright infringement

Matt Corley is a Research Associate for The Progress Report and ThinkProgress.org at the Center for American Progress.


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You mean...
Posted by: Xynyx on Oct 9, 2008 9:02 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
You mean... that McCain is lying about something ELSE?!!!

You mean... that he is saying ONE thing while doing EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE?!!!

I don't believe it!

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if McCain wasn't running for President
Posted by: Mouseof856 on Oct 9, 2008 9:06 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Now, any other "normal" citizen would have been in court right now paying a heavy fine or possibly worse. But since McCain is running for President, it's okay. What a fair treatment.

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The Stupid Express rides again
Posted by: babs on Oct 9, 2008 10:43 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The fact that not one of McStain's campaign people know a thing about copyright infringement and licensing of intellectual property says what everyone already knows about these imbecilic clowns. Nary a lawyer in sight - which speaks volumes about their respect for the law.

Tom Petty is suing the campaign for using his music at the RNC (he's extremely pissed). Luckily the dolts didn't try to rip off Springsteen who actually donated the usage rights to his music to the Obama campaign. Ditto for Stevie Wonder.

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From the band "Heart" on Palin's use of the song "Barracuda"
Posted by: fanny666 on Oct 9, 2008 1:46 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I have no idea if this is real ... but it's funny either way.

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Wrong copyright
Posted by: sliver on Oct 9, 2008 2:21 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
When McCain says he'll protect copyrights, he means for corporations, not piddly artists, singers and writers.

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Well.....
Posted by: gallery on Oct 9, 2008 2:59 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
unfortunately for the artists, they are being paid.
It's the same kind of licensing agreement a restaurant or bar would have to pay for to be able to play background music.
They CANNOT use it in an add without written permission (like they did with jackson brown, hence the lawsuit) but an artist can't choose which song is played or who plays it after they have already signed off on licensing.

The big difference here is that when Obama was asked to cease using a song at the request of the artist, they did so immediately.
With Macs campaign, they don't give a shit that the artist doesn't support or condone his politics, they ignore the request, they ignore the artist, and they have no qualms about it.

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