HOT TOPICS

most

Browne Sues McCain for 'Empty' Rhetoric

PopEater

posted: 319 DAYS 13 HOURS AGO

comments: 322

filed under: Fight!, Music News, Troublemakers

Text SizeAAA

(Aug. 14) - Soft rocker and liberal activist Jackson Browne is going directly after John McCain for the unauthorized use of his signature hit in a campaign ad that mocks Barack Obama.

The singer-songwriter has filed a lawsuit against the Arizona senator and the Republican Party, arguing the GOP didn't play by the rules when "Running On Empty" was used without his consent in a recent commercial tweaking Obama for suggesting that Americans could conserve gas through proper tire inflation.

Copyright infringement aside, Browne's lawsuit also alleges that the song's usage falsely suggests that he is a McCain supporter. Browne is seeking a permanent injunction prohibiting the use of the song, as well as undisclosed damages.

"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," Browne's lawyer, Lawrence Iser, said in a statement.

But is Browne even suing the right people? McCain spokesman Brian Rogers told the Los Angeles Times that the ad in question was not technically a McCain campaign ad but one produced by the Ohio Republican Party.

Browne's lawyer has a different view on McCain's involvement.

"We have sued the Ohio Republican Party as well, and we have been informed and believe that McCain and his campaign were well aware of the ad. We are also informed and believe that the ad was broadcast on television in Ohio and Pennsylvania ... The fact that it appears on the Internet means it also reaches an audience well beyond those states."

Skip over this content

Earlier in the campaign, McCain was asked by another liberal rocker, John Mellencamp, to stop using his song "Pink Houses" during events.

"They used a John Mellencamp song until he made them stop and he used an ABBA song and a Frankie Valli song -- it's ridiculous and it's setting a terrible example," Iser told the LA Times. "It's shocking that they don't even attempt to get permission. There's no copyright difference between using a song to sell cars or by people running for president. The music industry continues to suffer due to lack of respect for intellectual property rights, and a candidate for president has a duty to lead by example and ensuring their campaign does as well. The copyright protections are derived from the Constitution itself."

Browne, 59, campaigned heavily for Ralph Nader in 2000 and was an early supporter of John Edwards in this year's presidential race. The singer-songwriter's other hits include "Somebody's Baby" and "Doctor My Eyes" and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.

Right-leaning pop musicians can be hard to come by, leaving few safe choices for Republicans on the campaign trail. Political Machine points out a few GOP-friendly stars whose songs could possibly be cued up without objection: Donny Osmond, Ted Nugent, Gene Simmons, Kid Rock and Wayne Newton.

(PopEater respectfully suggests "Cat Scratch Fever" by Sweaty Teddy)

Republicans could also just play it safe by sticking with country artists. According to The Boot, next month's Republican National Convention will be crawling with Nashville's finest. LeAnn Rimes, Gretchen Wilson, John Rich and Cowboy Troy are all slated to perform at special concerts during the Twin Cities event.

Skip over this content

This Week in Pop Culture

Aug. 16, 2005: Madonna falls off her horse, a gift from her husband for her 47th birthday, breaking her hand, her collarbone and cracking three ribs.

James Devaney, Wire Image

Aug. 11, 1985: Duran Duran lead singer Simon Le Bon has a brush with death when his 77-foot yacht, Drum, is capsized by gale force winds during the final leg of the Admiral's Cup race. Le Bon and five of his crew are trapped in the upside-down boat for 40 minutes before being rescued.

Aug. 11, 1953: Terrence Gene Bollea is born in Augusta, GA. In the 1970s he will evolve into "Sterling Golden" and then "Terry Boulder," before finally settling on "Hulk Hogan."

Paul Hawthorne, Getty Images

Aug. 15, 1969: Billed as "3 Days of Peace & Music," the Woodstock Mucia and Art Fair begins on Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, NY, about 43 miles from Woodstock. More than 400,000 will descend on the venue that was only anticipating half that number. Things get weird.

Aug. 12, 1994: Billed as "Two more days of peace & music," the three-day Woodstock '94 opens about 100 miles from the site of the original.

Charles Rex Arbogast, AP

Aug. 13, 1990: Soul legend Curtis Mayfield, best known for his soundtrack to the blaxploitation classic 'Superfly,' is paralyzed from the neck down when a lighting tower falls on him during a concert in Brooklyn.

KMazur, Wire Image

Aug. 14, 2006: Boy George reports for the start of his community service. The five-day street cleaning gig is the singer's punishment for wasting the NYPD's time with a bogus report of a burglary at his Manhattan apartment.

2008-08-14 16:10:06

Dan Steinberg, AP

<< Celebs Who Cast Movies About Themselves -- The Frisky

Bale + Depp = No BFF -- theFABlife

Katie Confirms What We've All Been Wondering -- Radar Online

Celebrity Power Couple Alert (Under 10) -- BuzzFeed

Denise Richards Still Has It -- The Superficial

GOOD READ?

64 %

36 %

136 votes

(322)

Sort by:

1 - 10

<< Previous Next 10 >>

TRSR

05:02 PMAug 20 2008

Oh I forgot ********. can i say ******** on here?

AVG RATING:

(1)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

TRSR

04:56 PMAug 20 2008

Jackson Who? Indeed. More famous as a woman beater than a 'rocker'. How does his conduct sit with his liberal buddies. Or did he get the Slick Willie pass? Running on empty. What a self-fulfilling prophecy.

AVG RATING:

(2)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

PrvtEye666

01:53 PMAug 20 2008

LOL"Soft" rocker.Another softy....like most liberal girly-man metrosexuals.

AVG RATING:

(6)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

Selavy3

04:42 AMAug 19 2008

Jackson Browne is lucky anyone wants to play his music. He hasn't written anything worth hearing in 20 years.

AVG RATING:

(4)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

ToyMan1001

02:56 AMAug 19 2008

Great going Jackson Brown I would be upset also.I love your music and I am so glad that you spoke up to him.I hope you do take him to court and have them stop using your music.

AVG RATING:

(4)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

Patsbest1

12:27 AMAug 19 2008

jackson brown no spring chicken shove your song where the sun dont shine money hungry bastard

AVG RATING:

(4)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

BeReasonable32

07:10 PMAug 18 2008

It is so typical of people on these comments to call others names whe they disagree. So, PatriMt8 congratulations, your Democrat roots are showing. Whine, stomp your feet and blame everyone else for your supreme unhappiness. My point is that we probably do not know all of the facts that this may be a "John MCain" issue. It is most likely a John McCain supporter issue - do you KNOW all the facts? Or just what is fed to you by the endless stream of libeal, biased media. Also, why must litigation be brought into it. Our society is ever-so-slowly losing it's class and standards. Quite sad. Who else is tired of this topic? - speaking of idiotic.

AVG RATING:

(3)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

LessLy1

04:05 PMAug 18 2008

I am a lifetime Jackson Browne fan. I am also a Republican. While I don't agree with Jacksons' political veiws, I do beleive he has the right to hold them. He also has the final say in where his copyrighted property is used. His political activism is as much a part of who he is as his music, so I can totally understand his upset over his signature song being used by a political party he is so vocally opposed to. Come on people, this is not about Mr Brownes desire to jumpstart his waning career. It's about his right as property owner to determine it's use.

AVG RATING:

(6)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

Mdavidmy

02:24 PMAug 18 2008

Jackson WHO?

AVG RATING:

(6)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

DoggieDean

08:23 AMAug 18 2008

Oh well poor John Mcain can't get any real rockers to support a losing campaign there's always Donnie Osmond and that old guy from Kiss. TIRED.... just like old man Mcain

AVG RATING:

(0)

REPORT!

sign-in to rate

1 - 10 of 322

<< Previous Next 10 >>