Newt Gingrich has been ordered to stop using the song "How You Like Me Now?" on the campaign trail. The GOP presidential hopeful was served a cease and desist notice from Third Side Music, the Montreal-based publishing company that owns the rights to the song.

Gingrich used the swaggering 2009 hit from the British band the Heavy at a campaign rally in Tampa last week as he tried to hold onto the momentum from his South Carolina primary win.

The Heavy posted a message about the campaign's use of the song on their Facebook page: "If you heard 'How You Like Me Now' being used by Republican, Newt Gingrich, in his campaign, we'd like you to know it had [nothing] to do with us and we are trying to stop it being used."

Tussling over the use of pop songs has become a common feature in political campaigns of recent years. Last June, Tom Petty's management team sent a cease and desist letter to Michele Bachmann to prevent her from using "American Girl" in campaign appearances. That same week, Katrina and the Waves also ordered Bachmann to stop using "Walking on Sunshine."

MSN

The funny part is they are less angry about the use of the song as they are angry about being associated with the Republicans.

quote:

Originally posted by BullDoug:
The funny part is they are less angry about the use of the song as they are angry about being associated with the Republicans.

Exactly.

As they should be.

*CJ

Tom Brokaw asked Romney to stop using footage of him in a commercial, and he refused. Real classy, eh?

Ever notice that it's always Republicans that are being asked to quit stealing music and images? It happens all the time, and I can't think of one instance where it involved a Democrat.

Romney's people say that including the 30-second excerpt from one edition of NBC's Nightly News with Tom Brokaw is OK by the Fair Use doctrine. I think they're right about that legal issue.

But I think a decent person would honor NBC's and Brokaw's request. Brokaw doesn't want his face and voice in a commercial for ANY politican.

Jeff

Romney is not a decent person. According to Politifact, which is conservatively biased, his statements on the campaign trail are 41% untruthful.

Dr Chango, yes, I HAVE noticed, over many years, that it's always republicans who are ordered to cease and desist from stealing other's materials.

They have not talent of their own, is why.

That's true. Very few people with a creative mind would align themselves with Republican Neanderthals.

 
All this reminds me of how Fleetwood Mac not only allowed, but encouraged Bill Clinton in his use of their '77 single Don't Stop [Thinking About Tomorrow]... no cease & desist letters there, eh? ;-

*CJ

Rockers Survivor are suing presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich for using their "Eye of the Tiger" hit as a campaign anthem without permission.

Bosses for Rude Music Inc., which represents the group, have filed suit in Illinois, claiming the Republican has been using the "Rocky III" anthem illegally since 2009.

Gingrich's campaign bosses have even boasted about the power of the 1982 song on his website -- following a recent campaign event in Doylestown, Penn., they wrote, "Mr. Gingrich entered the packed Moose Lodge for a speech as the song pulsed ...", according to TMZ.com.

RMI bosses are asking a judge to order the politician and his team to stop using the song. They are also asking for unspecified damages. Gingrich isn't the first Republican to upset rock stars -- Jackson Browne sued John McCain for using the song "Running on Empty" in a political ad in 2008.

MSN Music

A political advertisement featuring Cyndi Lauper's song "True Colors" has been removed from the Internet following a copyright complaint from the singer.

The hitmaker's popular tune was used in a smear campaign against Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and it was posted online last week without Lauper's permission.

In a post on her Twitter.com account on Thursday, she fumed, "Got a phone call saying my version of True Colors was used in commercial trashing Romney... I wouldn't have wanted that song to be used in that way."

The singer's management officials were said to be investigating the matter and now the advert has been taken down and replaced with a banner notice which reads, "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by SME (Sony Music Entertainment)."

MSN Music

Don't think Lauper's pro-Romney though...she tweeted 'Mr Romney can discredit himself without the use of my work'...

Dunno who's responsible for the ad, but I suspect it's a SuperPac working on behalf of Newton...and we all know candidates don't coordinate with their SuperPacs, right?