(CNN) – The Romney campaign has received a cease-and-desist request from the rock band Silversun Pickups, which alleges illegal use of its song "Panic Switch" at a campaign event in August in North Carolina.
"Seems as if the GOP is once again whimsically ignoring our great nation's laws to do whatever it wants to do, and shooting itself in the foot in the process," band representative Ken Weinstein said in a statement Wednesday.
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"Without any regard for copyright or intellectual property laws, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has, without permission, begun to use Silversun Pickups' 2009 smash 'Panic Switch' at campaign stops across the country," the band said.
Romney spokeswoman, Amanda Henneberg, responded to the request saying, "The song was inadvertently played during event set-up before Gov. Romney arrived at the location."
"As anyone who attends Gov. Romney's events knows, this is not a song we would have played intentionally. That said, it was covered under the campaign's regular blanket license, but we will not play it again," said Henneberg.
In their statement, Silversun Pickups said, "Neither the band nor its representatives were contacted to gain permission for the use of the song, and the band has no intention of endorsing the Romney campaign. The band's attorney issued a cease-and-desist today."
"We're nice, approachable people. We won't bite. Unless you're Mitt Romney!" lead singer and guitarist Brian Aubert said. "We were very close to just letting this go, because the irony was too good. While he is inadvertently playing a song that describes his whole campaign, we doubt that 'Panic Switch' really sends the message he intends."
This is far from the first time a campaign has been asked to stop playing a band's music at campaign events. For example, the composer of the popular song "Eye of the Tiger" filed a copyright infringement complaint against Newt Gingrich during the Republican primary season earlier this year. And, during his 2008 campaign, soul singer Sam Moore asked then-senator Obama to stop using his song "Soul Man."
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People need to see the movie, "And Justice for All". Since Ronald Reagans' policies in the eighties, we have the term the "dumbing down" of America. People just don't get how most republicans think. They are the chosen people in their small minds. They talk about people/corporation rights, but what they talk about is the rights they want you to have. Some of the rights they don't want you to have is a womens' right to control her own body. But here are the rights they want their corporate masters to have, the right s of the insurance companies to deny us coverage in whatever they choose. The right of the oil companies to subsidies and profits which are through the roof. The right of pharmeceutical companies to charge us what ever they want. Vice President Biden was right, they want to keep us slaves. Why do you think the republicans have been trying to destroy the Department of Education for decades. They need to keep children dumb, so they won't have any goals and will work for peanuts. The republicans want a third world work force, so their masters will keep them in a easy job with perks that most Americans will never see. Oh yeah and they keep trying to push their faux religious beliefs on everyone. Bothe evangelicals and mormons are not Christians. Just read the New Testament and you will find out that they are both cult religions.
That band obviously does not understand how this works. Copyright laws, like money laundering laws, do not apply to Mittens. I understand that Hank Williams, Jr. has a lot of spare time on his hands, though, if Mittens needs a faux country western sound.
To answer Pathetic's pathetic questions:
The question everyone should ask themselves is: Why is Obama keeping college records sealed from the public? What are his reasons for this? You don't get into Harvard Law School with bad grades...just ask Mitthead Rmoney. And you certainly don't become editor of the Harvard Law Review if you are not qualified.
Is it fair that Romney has to show more tax records, when Obama keeps everything else sealed and private? Obama has released his tax returns going back to the year 2000. He has also released his birth certificate, something no other president or presidential candidate has ever had to do.
Why is he talking about Romney and Ryan, when he should be talking about how he's going to "fix" our country. What makes him qualified for another 4 years? Why are Rmoney and Ryan talking about Obama, when THEY should be talking about how they are going to "fix" our country? They have offered NO specifics about what they will do, only platitudes and generalities about balancing the budget and creating jobs (using wildly unrealistic assumptions).
What are his plans on Medicare for senior citizens? Obama: NO cuts in benefits for ANYONE. Rmoney/Ryan: No Medicare for anyone born after 1958.
How do you create jobs, grow prosperity, and tax the rich at the same time? Ask Bill Clinton. He taxed the rich and 22 million jobs were created as a result. When Obama said, "Our plan worked," he was talking about Clinton.
If Mitt Romney used anything of mine I would sue to get it back. He has proven by his choice of Ryan that he would say or do anything to get elected. It may convince the tea party that Mitt means the stupid crap he spews but he will never convince me that it is not stupid crap.
Tax returns.
Band must be liberal. really they promote a band that nobody has heard of. screw them. all you people are really for "we should all be equal" Please get educated. No way ever,ever will this happen. Really do you all think you can take all the money from people that has 4 to 6 years of college while working, then working hard for years building there business. hireing "Hireing" lots of americans. And you think Obama can take there money and distribute it all to uneducated lazy people so "we can all be equal" Will never happen never. I have a business and will never let that happen. We will extinguish Socilalism. Move to Greece. Greece borrowed money for years from other countries to give there citizens a free living. You take that away when you are broke, Everyone riots. California is a good example of Liberal minded fools. Say you are for education then take away college money and strip public schools down to poverty level. Liberals dont care about mexicans, African americans ect. They just feed them a little money for votes. Jokes on you
Who's Silversun?? Who cares??
Hmmmm???
Romney spokeswoman, Amanda Henneberg, responded to the request saying, "The song was inadvertently played during event set-up before Gov. Romney arrived at the location."
Inadvertently? Really? They actually meant to play "God Bless America" but the intern hit the wrong botton? A disgruntled former Bain employee committed sabotage? A left-leaning potergeist decided to do create some extra-worldly mischief? Come on! Does anybody know how take responsibility for their actions anymore? Why not just say, " We did it, we're sorry, we won't do it again." Seems pretty simple to me. And more importantly, it's an honest answer.
This really is a little story, and it is typical of CNN to give lots of room for comments on fluff pieces and little gossipy stuff.
What I would like to see more coverage and comments on would be the well-documented Romney/Bain/Salvadoran death squad story. It is amazing to me that this is not in the headlines. And of course, nobody is writing new features about Romney's missing tax returns. That one is not going to die, because so many Americans demand to see them.
What I would like to see more coverage and comments on would be the well-documented Romney/Bain/Salvadoran death squad story. It is amazing to me that this is not in the headlines. And of course, nobody is writing new features about Romney's missing tax returns. That one is not going to die, because so many Americans demand to see them.
It will come as a surprise to many that there is good evidence of the Romney/Bain connection with murders in Central America. Why spend time talking about what song was played when, and not pay attention to stories with real gravity?
What on earth is wrong with the band?!! Don't they know that horse-Mitt is above the law? They should bow down to him and kiss his feet for allowing their music to be played for him. He can do or say whatever pleases him and no one should ever question him. Oh, the outrage.
OBAMA 2012!
Typical GOP. Take something illegally and then argue about it. Do you think it may have been a good idea to ask permission first? I think that Ted Nuggent will gladly let you use one of his songs...if anyone has ever heard them outside an NRA meeting hall.
Today the Republicans came out with their new "swift boat" attack ads. They found some right-wing people who claim to have been in Special Operations and now want to make critical "unbiased" comments about President Obama's handling of the Osama Bin Ladden killing. This great event instilled some pride in Americans and fear in the hearts of many terrorists. It was a good thing to let them know how we really will hunt them down and kill them – wherever they hide. Much like the swift-boat situation these people had nothing to do with the operation and in fact share an office space with a right-wing group that makes a living out of creating attack ads. It's straight out of the Karl Rove play book to attack on the most absurd things possible – and nothing is too low or too dishonorable for Republicans. "Swift-boat" defines the unethical character of the modern Republican Party.
The facts are clear – President Obama has been wildly successful in killing terrorists – unlike Mr. "Mission Accomplished". He is the terrorist's worst nightmare. He listens to his Joint Chiefs, leverages intelligence data, and orders strikes with surgical precision. The right-wing radicals who created this "swift-boat" version are traitors who sold-out their honor to the highest bidders.
And that was the first and last time anyone will hear that song....
Silversun Pickups never heard of them, guess when you get FREE advertising you have to stop that immediately
Obama graduated Columbia with a 3.7 grade average and Magna cum lauda (upper 10%) from Harvard law. I think that makes him pretty smart. This is just more RW rhetoric to misdirection over hidden tax returns
Who cares about Romney's tax returns other than Dems and Obama supporters? I don't blame anyone for using loopholes to avoid paying this bloated govt any more money to waste on frivolous programs and hand outs to the gimmie crowd.
We need someone with good business sense and economic understanding in the White house, Obama's failings are a prime example of why.
Ready- if as leader of our country, Mr. Romney does to us what he did to workers in corporations, I guess we ought to be prepared to be "outsourced" someplace, so that the rich can have this nation unimpeded by the poor and middle class.
We tried an MBA President before. It didn't work. Remeber Mr. G.W. Bush? Mr. Romney is identical to him from an economic point of view.
everyone is born a republican...
"mine!"
Something "lifted" from The Lawrence Welk Show would have been more in keeping with the Romney/Ryan "crowd"!
Typical GOP, do something illegal then argue and say the laws are really for "someone else". Then, just keep saying it over and over and over till the sheeple adopt it as a fact.
How lame this band is its just a song and they are has beens. They should be happy someone is recognizing their music.
Ready said: "Who cares about Romney's tax returns other than Dems and Obama supporters? I don't blame anyone for using loopholes to avoid paying this bloated govt any more money to waste on frivolous programs and hand outs to the gimmie crowd."
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Okay, I'll go through the drill for you once more. The loopholes you refer to are legalized tax cheating mechanisms available only to rich people. You don't care about that? And yet you rail against "hand outs to the gimmie crowd"? The gimmie crowd consists of the rich people who are receiving welfare, in the form of loopholes, tax credits, lowered tax rates, and other benefits from the government, and that is being paid for by middle class Americans like me. I certainly object to welfare for the rich, even if you don't. I don't want my tax money used to make rich people more comfortable.
I know what your problem is. You've been brainwashed into thinking poor people are taking your money. Isn't that ridiculous? Rich people have your money, not poor people. Anyone can see that, if they choose to open their eyes. Poor people have squat. A big reason the rich have the money is that they control the government which gives them the loopholes you don't seem to care about. Doesn't that make you feel the least bit conned?
NickAnast
The question everyone should ask themselves is: Why is Obama keeping college records sealed from the public? What are his reasons for this? You don't get into Harvard Law School with bad grades...just ask Mitthead Rmoney. And you certainly don't become editor of the Harvard Law Review if you are not qualified.
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So why has Obama spent millions keeping all this under lock and key? If it is so wonderful you'd think he'd put it all out there.
We have come to find out there was a LOT of fiction in his books about himself. There is plenty of reason to believe there is a LOT of fiction about Obama's qualifications, especially after seeing him in action for 4 years. There are people in academia that have ADMITTED keeping things like Obama's past associations hidden because it would damage him. Obama MUST come CLEAN with the American people on his past. They have a RIGHT to know who they are voting for.