Eminem Allowed To Sue Apple Over Song Copyright
from the can-you-sing-a-song-on-national-TV? dept
In February, singer Eminem announced that he was suing Apple for having a commercial that showed a kid singing one of his songs. At the time, I wondered if compulsory licensing laws that handle the ability of a musician to "cover" a song would apply - but some claim that it doesn't apply to commercial offerings. Now, a judge has ruled that the case can proceed, and it could bring up some interesting legal arguments about fair use. Note that Apple didn't actually use Eminem's version of the song - just some kid singing it. That seems like a very fine line. Of course, what may complicate this story is the fact that Apple tried to buy the rights from Eminem, and still went ahead when he refused. It almost makes you wonder if the whole thing (including the lawsuit) is part of a publicity stunt.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Vicodin tattoo
I wonder if the manufacturers of Vicodin will sue M&M for having their brand name tattooed on his arm.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
No Subject Given
Course the 'artist' is beyond stupid as well.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in chronology ]