John McCain: Jackson Browne Used Me

John McCain is returning Jackson Browne's August lawsuit complaining about McCain using his song "Running on Empty" during his campaign by claiming Browne is just trying drum up publicity for his own album, reports TMZ.

McCain's lawyers filed a response, saying Jackson complained so he could get press to promote his new album, which came out a month later.

J-Mac also makes the argument he could use the tune whenever and where he wants because he was running for Prez, not trying to make a buck off it. If the court buys this "political speech as public interest" claim, it pretty much means curtains for a bunch of other musicians who were PO'd about their songs being used by the GOP.

The list of other acts mad at McCain for playing their songs includes Van Halen, Heart, Foo Fighters and more.

Comments

[TheGuide]

Why didn't they just get "written" permission to use their music? Geez! Of course they're PO'ed/

[ggm1957]

Maybe they knew the musicians would not give their permission, so didn't want to ask.

[BushBites]

McCain doesn't understand the concept of intellectual property.

Because he has no intellect.

[thegirlnextdoor]

zing! good one!

[RobinSeattle]

The Republican Congress passed the abortion that was the DMCA ) signed, sad to say, by Bill Clinton) and then decide it's not applicable when members of the GOP want to use copyrighted material for their campaigns.

Again, regular people are considered servants by Republicans.

[ChiGuy]

Translation:
"I can take anyone's intellectual property I want and use it as I wish in an attempt to further my career."

The court should see through this junk easily.

[nana4g]

McCain used all sorts of everyday people for his campaign, invading their privacy, et al. On the other hand, he was the one most used by his running mate. Pitiful.

[theotherfringe]

OMG! What a crybaby. McC. is playing dumb and he shouldn't get away with it.

[sharonh]

Dear John, he used me too. Love, Daryl.

[Aranxa]

Daryl, you lucky thing!

[hector74elp]

ugh... I'm thinking that McCain is saying "that Brown is those typical young whipper-snappers with the loud music".

[Birdman]

Based on McCains argument then I can download any song for free, anytime I want too as long asI'm not making a buck. hmmmmm I would say that arguement doesn't hold water. If he wiggles out of this one then I'm gonna download every song I can get my hands on and when I get drug to court I will use the McCain defense.

[QuinnIsIrish]

Yeah, that defense seems pretty weak to me.

[zippywpinhead]

last time I checked, the office of President is a paying job...

[clamperken]

Sure is. And a heck of a big raise over senators salary. Ya betcha!!!!!

[QuinnIsIrish]

McCain's lawyers file a response to Jackson Browne's complaint using the argument that he could use the tune whenever and where he wants because he was running for Prez. Does McCain's lawyers not understand they could have avoided this issue if they had just gotten permission to use the song. They didn't. The artist, in this case Browne, did not want his song used by a candidate he does not support. Why is it so difficult for the GOP to grasp they cannot use the music without permission. It seems to me they screwed this up. It sounds like Browne has a pretty good case. Go Jackson Browne!

[AmbivalentGuy]

Look at in a broader context, this is just an example.
Reread your sentence:
`Why is it so difficult for the GOP to grasp they cannot use the ______ without permission­.'

Can't you think of about a dozen other things to fill in the blank with?
It's just not as fun if you do it honestly.

[ElvisGump]

Didn't the GOP do this when Bush was running back in 2004? I don't recall ever hearing of one of these campaigns actually getting in trouble for it and even if they do they'll probably gladly pay the fine, or drag it out for years and laugh that they got away with it.

And unless they can frog march someone off to jail they pretty much proved they can get away with it. It sucks, but the courts don't seem to care what the GOP does.

[ladycubsfan]

McCain may have been allowed, legally, to use the song, just as Jackson Browne had a right to try to stop him. I'm sure Jackson did not want anyone to think he endorsed McCain/Palin since no one with functioning brain cells did. McCain should have stuck to the Country Music circuit to find like minds. Not that all of them are ignorant, but a lot are.

[bmwracer]

McCain: "Boo Hoo Hoo... I'm holding my breath until he apologizes­."

[stopwar]

JB's wrong on this one. He gets to call McCain out for using the song; he just doesn't get to sue over its non-commercial use. But that doesn't make the old man right, Browne got the publicity from the objection to what McCain was doing, not from filing the lawsuit. Anyway, if I were going to steal a Jackson Browne song for my presidential campaign, I think I'd use I Am A Patriot.

[Beninn]

When you're soliciting funds for your campaign, that's commercial.

[Internaut]

When a Republican makes use of copyrighted materials, that process is known as "stealing".

[Birdman]

Ahhh you had better check copyright laws you cannot publicly use a song without paying royalties to the artist. Essentially you are entitled to personal use provided you purchase the song, public use comes under a quite different arena one I'm sure McCain did not adhere too. Besides if McCain can use the song anyway he sees fit then I can download said song for free as well. If he can claim fair use so can I whether I pay for it or not. I would be willing to bet McCain didn't even pay for the song he probably borrowed it.

[ArchieOCampbell]

"I Am a Patriot" is part of Little Steven's (out-of-print?) protest album against US intervention in Central America. Not for Repubs.

[gifu]

All aboard the Self Pity Express.

[suzek55]

"Running on empty " The Mc Cain campaign summed up

[preemptivelove]

HAHAHAHHAH­AHAHAAHA!!­!! that's rich.