Canadian Super Group Threatens Rush Limbaugh

[DiscoBerry]

With a lawsuit.  I seriously just love this story.

Rush, the band, has formally forbidden Republican shock jock Rush Limbaugh from using their music on his radio program.

The Canadian supergroup was contacted by The Huffington Post’s Bob Cesca this week and asked if they gave Limbaugh permission to use their music. They responded by sending Limbaugh a cease and desist letter through their attorney.

Limbaugh has long made use of Rush’s music, and even played the track “The Spirit of Radio” in the background as he insulted Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke, calling her a “slut” and a “prostitute” because she vocalized support for universal contraception coverage through private health insurance.  “The use of Rush’s music in this way is an infringement of Rush’s copyrights and trademarks,” the band’s letter (PDF) reads. “The public performance of Rush’s music is not licensed for political purposes and any such use is in breach of public performance licenses and constitutes copyright infringement. There are civil and criminal remedies for copyright infringement, including statutory damages and fines.”

Rush is the second music group to demand that Limbaugh stop using their material without permission. They followed artist Peter Gabriel, whose music was also played during the inflammatory segment.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/07/limbaugh-threatened-with-lawsuit-by-supergroup-rush/

http://defendrush.org/

[N. De Plume]

Another prominent Republican copyright infringer. Yay.

[SpaceProg]

Man, I like Rush.   The band.  Of course.

[VirtualStranger]

Similar story: Rage Against the Machine to Rush Limbaugh: 'Stop using our music in your right-wing clown show'

Why in the fuck was Rush playing RATM in the first place? They represent everything he hates.

Come to think of it, doesn't Rush Limbaugh rage for the machine?

[N. De Plume]

I think Rush uses other people’s music just to piss those people off. I am pretty certain one of the other times he got called on this he even said as much, really.

[ironbite]

Seriously?  He used music he had no permission to use?

Ironbite-wow...what an ass.

[agentCDE]

But remember kids, piracy is serious business!

...I don't actually remember if Lord Asshole ever said anything about piracy, honestly, but it seems like a kind of grand scale hypocrisy, when the Repubs try and push SOPA etc. and Rush is ripping off big name bands on the goddamn radio.

[N. De Plume]

...I don't actually remember if Lord Asshole ever said anything about piracy, honestly, but it seems like a kind of grand scale hypocrisy, when the Repubs try and push SOPA etc. and Rush is ripping off big name bands on the goddamn radio.

Hell, the guy who wrote SOPA pirated the image he used for a background on his website.

[MadCatTLX]

I thought Rush's (band) songs were pretty left wing anyway.

RATM? Really? What song of their did he use?

[Bezron]

Seriously?  He used music he had no permission to use?

Ironbite-wow...what an ass.

Technically, he has blanket permissions due to licensing by the radio stations.  Still a dick move though.  All the bands are doing is making a bit of noise to show their displeasure.  Which they have the right to do.

Ain't copyright/licensing fuckin grand??

[SpaceProg]

I thought Rush's (band) songs were pretty left wing anyway.

They are, for the most part.  Go figure.

[VirtualStranger]

I thought Rush's (band) songs were pretty left wing anyway.

RATM? Really? What song of their did he use?

Sleep Now in The Fire

[N. De Plume]

Seriously?  He used music he had no permission to use?

Ironbite-wow...what an ass.

Technically, he has blanket permissions due to licensing by the radio stations.  Still a dick move though.  All the bands are doing is making a bit of noise to show their displeasure.  Which they have the right to do.

Ain't copyright/licensing fuckin grand??

So grand that I have to wonder if Rush actually owns the legal rights to their own music anyway.

[The Lazy One]

Seriously?  He used music he had no permission to use?

Ironbite-wow...what an ass.

Technically, he has blanket permissions due to licensing by the radio stations.  Still a dick move though.  All the bands are doing is making a bit of noise to show their displeasure.  Which they have the right to do.

Ain't copyright/licensing fuckin grand??

That's what I thought- since Rush (Limbaugh, that is) is broadcast by Clearchannel, doesn't he technically have the right to use any and all music that Clearchannel has licensed? I thought that was how radio licensing worked, if the company had the license they could play it as much as they wanted until the license ran out, and that any of their subordinate employees (Like Limbaugh) could do the same.

[Quasirodent]

I always knew Rush were good guys.  They're role models for Canadians.  And I have more reasons to love Peter Gabriel.