Posted on 06/02/2004 3:17:10 PM PDT by swilhelm73
Ray Bradbury: "Michael Moore is an a-hole" Jan Haugland 6.2.04
Michael Moore stole the title to his fictuous documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" from author Ray Bradbury, who in 1953 wrote his dystopic scifi classic "Fahrenheit 451." So what does Ray Bradbury, now 84 years old, think about Moore using his book title for his Bush-bashing movie project?
The answer is, as journalists in the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter [link ] found out when they called the author, that he is mighty pissed off. Here's my translation of the juicier bits of the interview.
"Michael Moore is a (screwed pooper), that is what I think about that case. He stole my title and changed the numbers without ever asking me for permission.
Have you spoken to him?
- He is a horrible human being. Horrible human!
That Ray Bradbury thought Moore could take his Palme d'Or from Cannes and stuff it was extremely clear, even if he never expressed himself with those words, when DN reached the author in his home in Los Angeles.
Do you disagree with his opinions...
-That has nothing to do with it. He copied my title, that is what happened. That has nothing to do with my political opinions.
Bradbury said that he had tried to discuss the issue with Moore, but that the director avoided him.
- I called his publisher. They promised he would call me the same afternoon, but he didn't.
When was that?
- A few months ago, when his plans about the movie was first made known.
The conversation touched politics when Bradbury mentioned that Moore had ruined general Wesley Clark's chances to become the democrat's presidential candidate. Like several American commentators Bradbury means that Moore's support to Clark was a kiss of death when Clark did not distance himself from Moore's claim that Bush deserted from his military service.
- He slandered the president to general Clark, and Clark allowed him to do it. Clark should have said: "Don't say that. It is not true." That day Clark lost his chance to become president.
Well, hell, I've been saying Michael Moore is a A**hole for years.
Ray Bradbury is, as they say, da bomb.
S is for Space, but it's also for "Shut your piehole, fatboy!"
Bradbury should sue the living crap out of Moore.
Who knew?
For what? Fahrenheit is a common word in almost any dictionary; I don't really see how someone could claim copyright to it. While trademark might be an issue, I don't think anyone is apt to mistake Moore's film for Troufaut's [of F451].
bump
There are many precedents in copyright law that would seem to support Bradbury.
Any barrister Freepers want to weigh in?
Titles and short phrases cannot be copyrighted.
That's not to say that Moore is not an a-hole.
You cannot sue based on a name parody, courts have proven that hundreds of times.
very, very good stuff.
IIRC, you can't copyright titles.
IIRC, titles cannot be coprighted.
Moore is fully allowed to use the title he chose.
Bradbury should know that much about copyright. To expect Moore to contact him for permission (?) would only be a courtesy.
The title question is a non-issue that someone is trying to be print-mileage out of.
But, Bradbury still has the right express his true feelings about Moore.
Do you lurk around flaming other people's opinions like a douchebag?
Only a democrat would blame Moore for Clark's implosion. Clark was given multiple opportunities to repudiate the "desertion" comments, and demurred each time. He deserves to be associated with Moore.
What you said. Bradbury doesn't own Fahrenheit. In fact, Bradbury ought to be sued by the estate of physicist Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit (1686-1736) who originally devised the scale.
I'm not a lawyer, nor do I play one when on top of the TV, but I believe there are some exceptions in copyright precedent for titles of published works. Something to do with the limited number of words that can comprise a title, thereby leading to inevitable similarities.
Sure, Fatboy obviously ripped off Bradbury, but I don't think there's an infringement case to be made.
Fatboy's definitely a 'hole, though.
Somebody is a bit overly sensitive.
I took the previous poster remark to be sarcasm directed at Moore, not at you.
Without Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 Moore would not have come up with Fahrenheit 911 for his piece of doo-doo waste of film. It's clearly a rip-off.
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