Fox News Not Authorized To Use Song During DNC Coverage

R.E.M.: Fox News Not Authorized To Use 'Losing My Religion' During DNC Coverage

R.E.M. is the latest music act to request that its songs not be played in a political context.

The band -- which broke up last September after 31 years together -- released a statement on their website denouncing Fox News for playing its seminal hit "Losing My Religion" during coverage of the Democratic National Convention.

"We have little or no respect for their puff adder brand of reportage," R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe said in the statement. "Our music does not belong there." R.E.M. said that Fox News is not authorized or licensed to use the song -- a cheeky way for the cable news network to comment on the perceived lack of faith at the DNC -- in the future.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/0 ... ide=299898

Boy, for a bunch of folks that represent themselves as "supporting small business", they sure don't seem to have any problem misappropriating other people's intellectual property without permission...



Here's some more of the RNC's "Greatest Hits":

The Silversun Pickups sent Mitt Romney's campaign a cease-and-desist letter after the Republican candidate for president used their song "Panic Switch" during a campaign event.

Dee Snider requested that Paul Ryan stop playing the Twisted Sister anthem "We're Not Gonna Take It" during his campaign stops.

Tom Petty vs. Michele Bachmann: the Heartbreakers frontman responded with a cease-and-desist letter.

David Byrne vs. Charlie Crist: Crist used the Talking Heads song "Road to Nowhere" in a web video. Talking Heads singer David Byrne quickly sued Crist for $1 million

Heart vs. John McCain: Nancy and Ann Wilson of the band Heart strongly protested the McCain campaign's use of their song "Barracuda" to introduce Sarah Palin at the 2008 Republican National Convention (Palin's high school nickname was "Barracuda").

Rush vs. Rand Paul: A lawyer for Canadian rock trio Rush told then-Kentucky GOP Senate candidate Rand Paul in 2010 that his campaign didn't have permission to use their song "Tom Sawyer" in a promotional web video. Another song, "Spirit of the Radio," had also not been authorized for use at Paul's rallies.

Foo Fighters vs. John McCain: The Foo Fighters accused John McCain of "pervert[ing] the original sentiment of the lyric" to their song "My Hero" in a 2008 letter asking his campaign to stop using their music for promotional use.

Jackson Browne vs. John McCain: Classic rocker Jackson Browne sued the 2008 presidential candidate, the RNC and the Ohio Republican Party for allegedly using his song "Running on Empty" in a web video without permission.

Tom Scholz ("Boston") vs. Mike Huckabee: Former GOP presidential candidate and bass player Mike Huckabee made a habit of pulling out his four-string and playing Boston's "More Than a Feeling" on the campaign trail in 2008. That didn't please Tom Scholz, founder of the classic rock band and writer of the song. In a letter to Huckabee, Scholz asked the Arkansas governor to stop playing the ballad, saying that he'd "been ripped off."

Aerosmith vs. Eric Cantor: Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) got some heat from Aerosmith back in 2009 when his office used the band's "Back in the Saddle" as the soundtrack for a web video touting the supposed resurgent power of the House GOP. After a copyright infringement complaint by Aerosmith's record company, the video was removed from YouTube.

Van Halen vs. John McCain: Van Halen expressed displeasure with McCain's use of their song "Right Now" during a campaign event in 2008, claiming that "permission was not sought or granted, nor would it have been given."

Bruce Springsteen vs. Ronald Reagan: Springsteen was famously upset by Ronald Reagan's (ironic) use of his song "Born in the USA" for the Gipper's 1984 re-election campaign. The Associated Press reports that "Springsteen, a Democrat, bristled at his art being invoked for causes he opposed,"

John Hall vs. George Bush, John McCain: John Hall, co-founder of rock band Orleans and a former congressman himself, complained in 2004 that George W. Bush was using the band's song "Still the One" without permission. The Bush camp removed it from its playlist following Hall's cease-and-desist order. Four years later, Hall, then serving as a House Democrat from New York, filed a similar complaint against McCain's campaign, calling it "yet another example of John McCain not learning anything from George Bush's mistakes." rofllol

Don Henley vs. Chuck DeVore: Eagles frontman Don Henley and two of his fellow songwriters sued California GOP Senate candidate Chuck DeVore in 2010 for his use of two of their songs as campaign parodies. After legal proceedings, the band members came out on top, winning an apology and payment of an undisclosed sum.

Sam & Dave vs. Bob Dole: 1996 GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole was forced to stop playing Sam & Dave's "Soul Man" at campaign events, after the music group that owned the rights to the song threatened to sue.

Parenthetically, I thought it was interesting that one of the on-camera interviews at the DNC convention was Mitch Glazier, president of the R.I.A.A., who was most happy to report that the DNC had properly requested AND PAID FOR all appropriate music-licenses, and gotten PERMISSION from all of the artists whose songs were played during the convention. I guess a large number of recording artists are more "in tune" with the Democratic party than the TeaPublicans... (pun intended)...

rofllol

It must have taken you forever to cut and paste all those from the Huffpo. Damnned inconsiderate of them to not put it in an easy to swipe single text list, huh?

Yes, it was...But it was worth it... I LOVE showing the hypocrisy of the rip-off-the-musicians GOP....

Democracy4Sale wrote: Yes, it was...But it was worth it... I LOVE showing the hypocrisy of the rip-off-the-musicians GOP....

Yup... That's a rock bottom stupid thing for the republicans to do.

Another BS post LJ. You need a job.

lionshead2010 wrote: Another BS post LJ. You need a job.

Then don't read it...If you have that much time, then you obviously need one too.

God, I love the smell of TeaPublican hypocrisy in the morning.

Democracy4Sale wrote: God, I love the smell of TeaPublican hypocrisy in the morning.

I keep wanting to ask what that smells like. I bet it's not roses early in the morning with the overnight dew still on the petals.

So, what does that smell like?

Putrefaction...

Democracy4Sale wrote: Putrefaction...

That's sort of what I thought you were talking about. I hate the smell myself.

"To each his own" said the old lady as she kissed the cow.