Re: Political Fair Use

On Thu, 10 Oct 1996, Jayne Sebby wrote:
>
> A few weeks ago, a local TV station announced that it was suing a
> local political candidate (for a federal office) for using part of
> its newscast without the station's permission. The candidate had
> recorded a news segment in which the station checked the oppoinent
> candidate's claims about something and came up with a different set
> of numbers/facts and then placed that segment (the actual footage)
> in one of his TV ads, saying that his opponent was lying as proved
> by reporter X on station Y. The candidate claims fair use; the
> station says no way.
>
> Has anyone seen this before and, if so, what was the outcome?

No, but:

Another "similar" incident involved Bob Dole's people playing "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen as part of his campaign tour. Bruce was not happy about the *implication* that he was a supporter. Mr. Springsteen wrote Dole that the music was "appropriated" and "used w/o permission".

No mention was made whether Dole had paid ASCAP or whatever fees or whether his campaign workers assumed fair use. I assume the grounds of Springsteen's complaint was one of those U.S. laws analogous to the moral rights laws of europe/france?

Anyone know more factual details?

Charles Keller

<keller[_at_]ra.msstate.edu>                      Quote of the day:
     The Moravian brothers (a sect of Anabaptists having great
     horror of bloodshed) executed their condemned brethren by
     tickling them to death.
                  ``Essais historiques sur Paris,'' T. v., 54.