Jackson Browne Sues GOP And McCain Campaign

***UPDATE*** McCain Campaign spokesman Brian Rogers responds to the lawsuit filed by Jackson Browne:

This campaign has never run any ad using any portion of Mr. Browne's song. If the complaint names the McCain campaign, Mr. Browne and his lawyers have picked the wrong target, and John McCain's name should obviously be removed from this lawsuit immediately.

Singer, songwriter, liberal activist and now John McCain scourge Jackson Browne filed a lawsuit today against the presumptive GOP nominee and the Republican Party for failing to obtain a license to use one of his songs in a television commercial.

The song, "Running on Empty," has been used by the Ohio Republican Party (not the McCain campaign) apparently against Browne's approval. The music icon also claims that in doing so, the false perception is created that he is endorsing McCain's candidacy.

If the whole episode strikes a nostalgic tone, it's because famous musical artists and Republican presidential candidates have butted heads in the past. Bruce Springsteen publicly complained when Ronald Reagan used "Born in the U.S.A" during his campaign in 1984.

The commercial Browne is upset by is a recent spot on energy policy that rips Barack Obama for suggesting that the country conserve gas through proper tire inflation.

"We are confident that Jackson Browne will prevail in this lawsuit. Not only have Senator McCain and his agents plainly infringed Mr. Browne's copyright in Running On Empty, but the Federal Courts have long held that the unauthorized use of a famous singer's voice in a commercial constitutes a false endorsement and a violation of the singer's right of publicity," Lawrence Iser of the Santa Monica, California law firm Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert said in a press release. "In light of Jackson Browne's lifelong commitment to Democratic ideals and political candidates, the misappropriation of Jackson Browne's endorsement is entirely reprehensible, and I have no doubt that a jury will agree."

This is the second time in a week a celebrity has chastised the McCain camp for allegedly illegally using his or her material. Mike Myers, earlier this week, insisted that the Arizona Republican take down a web ad that -- mocking Obama's celebrity -- used a "we're not worthy" clip from his movie Wayne's World.

Back in July, meanwhile, the Silicon Alley Insider reported that...

... Warner Music Group (WMG) appears to have demanded that YouTube remove "Obama Love," a montage of press fawning over Sen. Barack Obama that had been posted on Sen. John McCain's official YouTube channel. "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Warner Music Group," says a message on YouTube.

The video, set to Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," had the makings of a rare viral hit for McCain. It had been viewed more than 200,000 times in its first three day on the Web, and helped McCain beat Obama in total views on YouTube over the past week.

Comments

[sonial8]

This man needs money. Does anyone know who he is. I do not and actually have no clue about his music and by now not even remotely interested. Comes off as a 70 year old has been who is needy of attention. He needs to grow up and understand that his music (lucky if people are still listening to) is public and he has given it freely at some point of his life. I bet in the last ten years there were many people who have used music as themes in ways an artist may not approve of.

If the party abided by his request then why the lawsuit - money and a little fame for a has been. What an idiot.

[jotunloki]

That is not how the copyright laws work. You are not allowed to make use of music by any living artist without his or his agent's permission. Jackson Browne is considered one of the greats of rock music.

[HamletsMill]

"Nice"... first... post...Son­ial8...

I guess your stats say it all.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bww2prhAWEA

[HamletsMill]

You definitely must NOT be a rock musician if you have no regard for Jackson Browne? He got discovered by just doing a demo tape of the songs he had written when he sent them to another singer to consider. The rest is history.

Maybe you need to get back to the sources that influenced everybody in the 70's. My band used to play this one back in 1973 before we moved into Leon Russell to crank up the set with "Stranger In A Strange Land".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-xQoNDFwlE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjy7RAu8TJ4

I guess you just have to have been there. Leon's words in "Stranger In A Strange Land" STILL hold up all these years later in this NeoCon Hell.

Thank God for Rock and Roll on this dip s**t planet.

Maybe you will do better on Post No. 2!

[whitewaterwillie]

Just because Jackson Browne does not appear on top bop 40, doesn't mean he isn't a great musician. He's one of my favorite.

[filo]

You said it all when you said you didn't have a clue!

[dontpanic23]

Is this post a joke? You have Really never heard of Jackson Browne and you are in a political forum that leans to the left? You need to flip the radio dial every so often. You might hear something good.

[dubster]

Great work Jackson! Those repubs need to be antagonized in anyway possible. Give them a taste of their own medicine, so that they can know who it feels.

[ultrabop]

How bright is it to enfringe on a copyright when you're running for President?

[ritenow]

What's the problem with the McCain camp? Don't they have a sense of humor?

[TreetopFlyer]

It's time to start holding these campaigns accountable for smears made in their behalf. That's the only way to prevent this sort of hanky panky.

[photochick]

You go Jackson. Give 'em hell. BTW -- will you marry me?????

[TheBrizz]

Runnin' on Empty... that's pretty much appropriate for the GOP these days.

[Indubio]

These days? The GOP was on empty 30 years ago and they ran out of fumes in the early 1990s. Bush has been running on smoldering and sputtering buffalo chips for seven years.

[cpscscs]

These Days is another Jackson Browne song. You can check it out on YouTube.

[lenoirlady]

Buy Jackson Brown and NOT Toby "The Terror" Keith!!!!
Sue McSame, he reaps the harvest!

[VivaZapata]

McCain should be using that Sinatra song (I don't know who wrote it ) about the days dwindling down to a precious few/ November, December. :)

[LiberalLo]

September Song

[big guy]

i was wondering how long it was going to take before McCain would the sued for not getting permission first i am surprised that Paris or Britney did not sue McCain for using them in that stupid attack add . most of the republican are scared that there gravy train mite be coming to an end i would like to see all new faces on the republicans be tossed

[Indubio]

Spears is a Republican. Hilton might well sue now that Browne has done it.

[Cybersquirt]

Well good for him. And it's good to know he's a democrat. :)

[dontpanic23]

He was big in the early 80s "No Nukes" movement. Then he got distracted by a woman and came out with that lame album for his new wife when we were all anxiously awaiting a big political statement.

Oh, well. He's still overall a great progressive musician/s­inger/song­writer.

[CactusConservative]

Here is a really good audio interview with Jackson Browne's attorney, Larry Iser. Once you get past all the politics and usual character assassination, this is a very interesting case of blatant and ongoing copyright abuse by political parties and the very people who are charged with protecting property holders rights.

First broadcast on The Legal Broadcast Network.

http://thelegalbroadcastnetwork.squarespace.com/the-lbn-blog/2008/8/15/jackson-browne-files-lawsuit-against-mccain.html

[samandally]

The girlfriend beater should be glad for the free publicity!

[Bettysdad]

Repeatedly proven false.

[MoMan]

are your prepared
for The Mc Pretender?

[taitracee]

yeah SUE THE PANTS OFF OF THEM.. because the mcain camp is RUNNING ON EMPTY.