[pissant]

Nothing like panicked lefty rock 'stars' having their panties in a knot.

[srmorton]

I wish they could see how silly and petty it makes them look to actually object to the fact that someone is using one of their songs. The use of a song by a politician does not imply that the artist endorses that particular political philosophy. It just means the politician likes the song or it suits the image they want to portray. I think it is a compliment more than anything else.

I must admit, however, that Bill and Hillary forever ruined the song "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" for me after they played it ad nauseum in 1992. Fortunately, I didn't like the song that much in the first place!

[Gay State Conservative]

I thought that you could play a song all you want as long as you paid the pre-determined royalty fee to the individual/entity that owns the rights to the song.How is it that Rush can use “My City Was Gone” if that’s not true? Are the Pretenders Republicans?

[RasterMaster]

You’d think all these “stars” who’s careers are currently in a tailspin or non-existent would appreciate their has-been songs get some airplay. Ungreatful wretches!

[freekitty]

I guess they don’t want any more money.

[OCCASparky]

Actually, no it doesn't become public domain after 25 years.

However, THEY don't "own" the song because THEY didn't write it. The drummer (Michael DeRosier) wrote it, and was recently quoted as saying he loved the fact it was being used.

Oh, and Ann? Nancy? Before you start bitching about "stolen" stuff, remember Nazareth? Remember "This Flight Tonight"? You know--that's the group/song you stole the "Barracuda" opening riff from?

Whoops--on edit, Roger Fisher was the one interviewed. So what if they're Obama supporters? Now be good girls and have another sandwich or something.

[gop4lyf]

It seems like I remember Rush Limbaugh talking about his intro music once. He said that the singer was a liberal but didn’t care whether or not he used it.

[A CA Guy]

If it is out there to get royalties, outside of paying them (if necessary) what power over songs do they retain by law?

[GOPJ]

These liberal rock stars need to

call the Dixie Chicks.

Or their local newspaper

and see how bad business can be

after "giving the finger" to half their potential customers... (the half that's conservatives).

[pollwatcher]

I read that the guitarist co-writer of Barracuda was thrilled they used the song - if only in the “more sales” sense.

[SkyDancer]

I read that their music can be played at a private gathering which what the convention was. It was by invitation only. There was a piece I think on Little Green Footballs or Newsbusters that laid out the legalese ... or was it on FR?
Not sure.

[NYC Republican]

Who- this ugly, fat POS Rosanne-wanne-be? Screw her

[Morgan in Denver]

Democrats can use God Bless America even though they don’t believe that so what’s the difference?

[MovementConservative]

Very foolish. They could make a comeback of sorts. Why limit your audience?

[SkyDancer]

OK - Found this on Little Green Footballs.com

“Although I work as an intellectual property lawyer, I don’t do much in the copyright licensing field any more. However, when I was doing this a few years ago, if a client of mine was going to have a convention or a trade show and wants to play ASCAP or BMI music at it’s booth, it would approach ASCAP and/or BMI and buy a license to play ALL of that company’s music at the event in question. Permission from any one of the artists was NOT required.

This is different from using songs as background on campaign videos.

Now, Heart may have some other claim about right of publicity (i.e., that using the music incorrectly implies permission or sponsorship), but as far as I know, on the copyright claim, the answer to their attorneys is “we got a license, so go pound salt.”

[FredZarguna]

First, Heart sux; anything decent they ever did -- two, maybe three songs tops -- were stolen whole or in part from soneone else. Second, we don't want to reintroduce their catalog, which has been justifiably off the air for twenty five-years because Heart sux, and there's already plenty of absolutely hideous trash on the radio. Third, we are trying to showcase women, and Heart is living proof that there are still some things men do a hell of a lot better than women -- like any kind of Rock music.

[GQuagmire]

FWIW, the blonde non fat sister is or was married to Cameron Crowe former writer for Rolling Stone IIRC

[bigbob]

Screw them.

There would be a copyright violation if an artists song were being performed without paying royalties to them. That’s not the case. Per the Vanderbilt University Journal of Entertainment and Technology law:

“Copyright laws are ambiguous regarding this type of “campaign” use. Political campaigns maintain that in order to play a song at a live event they only need a public performance license from a performing rights organization such as BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC. These organizations pay royalties to songwriters and publishers for performances of their songs at live events.”

Think about it - if some whiny leftwing artist were able to stop a person they disagree with politically from using their song in a legal way, do you think Rush Limbaugh would still be using The Pretenders “My City Was Gone” as his theme?

Word to Heart: STFU and have another donut

[conservativeharleyguy]

"...Universal Music Publishing and Sony BMG have sent a cease-and-desist notice to not use one of Heart's classic songs 'Barracuda,' as the congratulatory theme for Sarah Palin..."

This was the first time in the history of that song that is was actually relevant to anyone other than themselves. They should be flattered.

Simple solution:
The "Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" and it's Ministry of Information (FreeRepublic) have now sent a "cease-and-desist" notice to conservatives not to purchase anything from Heart, Universal Music Publishing, or Sony BMG. What's next? will it be "only Liberals are allowed to listen to our music"? Good luck with that.

The Wilson sisters got fat, dumb, and happy from everyone's money (well, mostly chicks anyway), not just just money from liberals.

It's funny, the record industry doesn't even get the irony of lashing out to protect a song that was written to protest their own predatory nature.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

Hey panzy doper rockstars,blow it out yurarse.

[DGHoodini]

The Wilson Skanks are just old burnt out drunkie/Junkie DemoLib death Feminist “Party”(line) girls...and now, after decades of living the Life La Feminista, they are every bit as worthless and useless, as they feared they would end up being by actually growing up.

Now, they aren’t worth the garbage bags it would take to throw them away.

Life as DemoLib Feministas with the lockstep Liberal “cool”, has left them corroded from the inside out.