Friday 13 November 2009

How Bow Wow Wow Row Now Concluded

Several readers have drawn my attention to this feature in The Tripwire (why, I ask, are they reading this when there are so many earnest copyright publications gathering dust on the shelves ...?): entitled "George Clinton Wins Landmark Court Battle Over “Bow Wow Wow, Yippie Yo Yippie Yea”", it reads (in relevant part):
"Whether or not you believe George Clinton was actually the first (along with two fellow songwriters) to pen the phrase in 1982’s “Atomic Dog” may be another story altogether. No matter what your feelings on the matter, we wouldn’t suggest using the phrase in your lead single anytime soon, or you will probably be paying Bridgeport Music a large sum of money. The suit was filed against Universal Music Group for their group, Public Announcement, using the phrase in their 1998 release “D.O.G. In Me” that a panel of federal judges ruled to be in violation of Clinton’s copyright ...".
Have you noticed, by the way, how almost every legal decision is now deemed to be a landmark ruling?

Illustration above: Nipper learning the "bow wow" lyrics ...

1 comment:

goldenrail said...

and how all these "landmark rulings" are in cases brought by Bridgeport?