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

[FiLoLi]

Jackson Browne hasn't had this much publicity in decades, he should sent the Ohio GOP a fruit basket.

[filo]

You haven't been paying attention.

[FiLoLi]

Actually I have. The last time Jackson Brown had any big news, he was dating and smacking around Darryl Hannah.

[markusmarkus]

Yeah, basket full of rotten fruit - how appropriate!

[wagadog]

I thought the rethugs were the ones constantly pushing for stronger IP enforcement. You know, like the DMCA and the Patriot Act?

Looks like their point is "ripping off songs is ok for me, but not for thee."

Hunh. Wake up and smell the hypocrisy.

[moreupnorth]

Excellent point. The entire Bush Regime has been running on "Do as I say and not as I do" for almost eight years.

Unfortunately I cannot get the smell of hispocrasy out of my nose and I don't even live in your country. Like pollution the smell of your current government is wafting around the world and making most folks sick.

I think the best tune for McCain to use would be the old standard, appropriately sung by the Straw Man, from the Wizard of OZ, "If I only had a brain"

[sambolicioussssss]

I think RUNNING ON EMPTY is the perfect theme song for the Mc Cain campaign. Empty head, empty promises, empty ethics, empty words.

[JBS]

Empty Heart

[sambolicioussssss]

No kidding, you hit the nail on the head. Any emptier and he would be a true vacuum, absolute zero, pure entropy, a singularity at best.

[myhomeo]

How come you never hear about Democrtic candidates being asked to cease and desist by a Republican songwriter?

[aOsO]

that's because Democrats are smart enough to get permission.

[Kenji]

Because Republican can't write songs -- except for John Ashcroft, of course.

[sambolicioussssss]

John Ashcroft makes Ed Meese look like Wavy Gravy

[mattejob]

I seriously hope this is a rhetorical question.

[Grunty1]

Because they are smart enough to get proper permission?

[wheresthebeef]

Republicans can write? Who knew?

[Ashall]

How difficult is it for the McCain campaign to at least ask permission to use the likeness or music of any celebrity? Certainly they don't believe that their message is so important that they're above all that. Would seem to me that if a candidate doesn't understand about copyrights and license agreements, there's probably a lot more in the new world they don't understand either. McCain has lots of "experience" but unfortunately it's from 40-50 years ago. In today's world McCain can't hold a candle to our young folks and technology.

[reggieb]

A Jackson Brown song? Who did McCain knock up?

Someone's going to have to explain it to me
Cause I'm not sure what it means
My baby's feeling funny in the morning
She's having trouble getting into her jeans
Her waistline seems to be expanding
Although she hardly feels like eating a thing
I guess we'll reach an understanding
When we see what the future brings

[andyg]

You mean John Edward the baby daddy.

[MyrtleJune]

The Ohio Republican party made the ad on behalf of John McCain's campaign for President. He can sue him. And he can sue the Ohio pubs, and the rnc. And it is still playing on youtube just under another user name. Regardless, the Ohio gop made the video. It was played on several cable television shows and youtube. Google up "ohio gop" and there you'll find the ad..... Still playing on youtube.

The mccain campaign can wiggle on the hook all they want. The ad is for and about them.

[enlighteninglad]

I love the fact that the comments section for the video has been disabled. Guess they don't really want to know what the public thinks about this misleading and disingenuous ad.

[mamacat]

After everything else McCain and the GOP have done (WMDs, anyone?), a little stealing is small potatoes for them.

[loofa]

Go get 'em Browne. Your music is lovely and should not be abused or misused by these disgraceful people.

[jesthefaxman]

waaa

[CindyM2008]

Mc Cain, is that you?

[GuidedByEwoks]

I think Jackson should make a video about the Republicans using "The Load Out."

[strandwolf]

This Browne- he composed a ditty about deflowering jailbait!

REDNECK FRIEND

Pretty little one
How has it all begun?
Theyre teaching you how to walk
But youre already on the run
Little one--
What you gonna do?
Little one--
Honey, its all up to you

Now your daddys in the den shootin up the evening news
Mamas with a friend, lately shes been so confused
Little one--
Come on and take my hand
I may not have the answer but I believe I got a plan

Honey you shake and Ill rattle and well roll on down the line
And see if we cant get in touch with a very close friend of mine
But let me clue you in, it aint like him
To argue or pretend--
Honey let me introduce you to my redneck friend

Well theyve got a little list of all those things of which they dont approve
Theyve got to keep their eyes on you or you might make your move
Little one--
I really wish you would
Little one--
I think the damage would do you good

We're going to forget all about the battle
Its gonna feel so fine
cause he's the missing link, the kitchen sink--
Eleven on a scale of ten
Honey let me introduce you to my redneck friend

Im going to try to swing you up into my saddle
And then we'll run but you'll think we're flyin'

Honey let me introduce you to my redneck friend

[BeenThere2]

"This Browne" implies to me that you're not familiar with who he is. No, probably not. There's another one you can google-up about an unwed mother too. So maybe McCain should lay off stealing music and backhanded endorsements from "libruls" since he doesn't get it. either.

[livesimply]

Amen.

[preemptivelove]

jackson's OTHER lyrics!

And theres a shadow on the faces
Of men who send the guns
To wars that are fought in places
Where their business interest runs

On the radio talk shows and t.v.
You hear one thing again and again
How the u.s.a. stands for freedom
And we come to the aid of a friend
But who are the ones that we call our friends--
These governments killing their own?
Or the people who finally cant take any more
And they pick up a gun or a brick or a stone
There are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire

Theres a shadow on the faces
Of the men who fan the flames
Of the wars that are fought in places
Where we cant even say the names

They sell us the president the same way
They sell us our clothes and our cars
They sell us every thing from youth to religion
The same time they sell us our wars
I want to know who the men in the shadows are
I want to hear somebody asking them why
They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are
But theyre never the ones to fight or to die
And there are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire

[whiteboyblues]

YouTube views don't win elections.

Does America really need another President that won't admit he was wrong in the first place? Own up bub.

McCain the farce candidate, for life, against life; tire gauges are a waste, tire gauges are good. Vetoing beers since 2008.

[memphispaul]

It is supremely sweet that the republican party is getting sued for its failure to honor an individuals property rights.

[Ramirez]

Read the article. His lawyers sued the wrong Republicans.

[Ice9]

No, maybe not. Are you naive?

[RedKnuckles]

I thought all Republicans were wrong Republicans.

[livesimply]

We'll see.

[crankiyanki]

You must also COMPREHEND what is being said, or did you miss the part AND HIS AGENTS. This ad was made in furtherance of McCain's bid for the presidency. If McCain and his campaign did nothing to have this ad taken down, then that is "implied consent" and as such legally actionable.

[wheresthebeef]

"Wrong Republicans." Welcome to the Department of Redundancy Department.