MTV3 sued for copyright infringements
Singer Robbie Williams and his label, EMI, are demanding 200,000 euros in compensation for copyright infringement from one of Finland’s main TV stations, MTV3. MTV3 and advertising agency Kuubi used the song “Let Me Entertain You” in a television spot promoting Idols without Robbie’s permission…
The defendants in the case are MTV3 and Kuubi, the advertising agency that created the spot. Fremantle Media, the London-based company that owns the Idols franchise, is not involved in the case.
“As I understand it the situation is a sum of many coincidences. No one had taken care of getting a permission to use Mr Williams’s music. However, that permission would probably have been denied as Robbie Williams does not approve of the concept of the Idols competition,” Mr Susiluoto added.
I’m NOT a fan of Williams (and thanks to Finnish radio can’t stand to hear his older songs)but where a spokesperson says that “Robbie wants this” and “Robbie does that” you should read it’s the record company who’s actually speaking most of the time. Look at the link at the end of my post. It’s a Dutch tv show where Robbie is a guest and where record company people went crazy and interfere because the show’s host forgot to talk about his latest album… Watch the reaction of Williams. It’s quite a lengthy show, but worth watching (hilarious!) It has English subtitles for the parts that are in Dutch (!)
http://variatee.vara.nl/paulsparenavond/playerpage.jsp?itemaflID=186497&listtype=terugkijken&jaar=1104534000
Comment by majava — Mon, Oct 31st, 2005 @ 3:06 pm
FYI:
Now that there isn’t a thread of tips of potentially interesting topics I use this not very popular thread of copyrights to let you know of this boycott page that’s used to express peoples discontent with the new copyright law.
http://www.boikotti.org
Comment by Tom — Tue, Nov 1st, 2005 @ 8:38 pm