AfterDawn: News

Sony victimises Beatallica

Milwaukee-based Beatallica has become a new victim of Sony. Beatallica has been ordered by Sony to shut it's website down and pay up an unspecified amount of damages. Beatallica has attracted much attention online with its compositions such as "Leper Madonna" and "Got to Get You Trapped Under Ice". The band says it is not ripping off Beatles songs, just simply parodying them in a loving tribute that is protected by copyright laws.

Sony dont seem too convinced however. "Such uses of Sony/ATV compositions without the express authorization or license has caused and continues to cause substantial and irreparable injury, and is in direct violation of Sony/ATV's rights.", Sony told the band in a letter. The band's "Webmaster of Puppets", David Dixon said, "I think they're being very short-sighted. The amount of income that we generate from this is minuscule. None of us are quitting our day jobs."



An Online Petition has emerged where enraged fans can show their support for the band by simply signing their name in opposition to this action. At time of writing, it has collected 6900 signatures. If you believe that the action taken by Sony is unfair, then go and sign the petition to show your support.

Source:
The Register

Written by: James Delahunty @ 3 Mar 2005 20:36

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• 3 comments

• Letukka

  Fuck Sony if they can't understand little parody. Beatallica is great!

  3.3.2005 23:08 #1

• Balaam

  One result of almost unimaginable upside that I think will come out of all these lawsuits is that the obscene nature of the corporate entity will just become increasingly undeniable. Licenses should be held by the people who create the content, not by organizations that care only about profits, even if they have to make criminals out of all of us.
  
  On the other hand, anyone who is a fan of the absurd is never at a loss for chuckles these days.

  4.3.2005 02:08 #2

• pappap999

  when the hell is everyone going to realise that all of these music cos. consist of lawyers all friends of the top ceos who have no other way to make money other than to stop creative people from entertaining us. It is not enough that these cos. have millions and billions they want the pennies to. if only we could convince many to just stop buying products from these robbers for only one week they would be on their knees begging all forms of the arts to get it on. I only wonder how many have heard groups like beatallica and then went out to purchase the original music to find out what the parody is all about. which puts mony in their pockets. to quote zappa "DUMB ALL OVER AND A LITTLE UGLY ON THE SIDE"

  7.3.2005 08:29 #3