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From: rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen)
Newsgroups: net.music,net.legal
Subject: Re: Song rights
Message-ID: <1261@pyuxd.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 20-Jul-85 12:40:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxd.1261
Posted: Sat Jul 20 12:40:33 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Jul-85 06:25:59 EDT
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>     I have just finished listening to a few songs by Weird Al Yankovick (sp??).
> One was 'I want a new duck' and the other was 'Like a surgeon'. Now I know
> that these songs resemble their popular counterparts in ever respect except
> the words. What are the legal barriors that entertainers/performers like
> these must overcome in order to use another performers song in a seemingly
> strange manner? 
> 					Wayne Lyle

I believe they have to ask the songwriter's permission, and then credit the
songwriter for his/her part in writing the music.  "Eat It" was credited
to "Yankovic/Jackson".  On the other hand, if the songwriter says no, there's
nothing he/she can do to stop Weird Al or his ilk from just performing the
song with his own unusual arrangement.  I heard that because Prince wouldn't
let him parody Purple Rain, he just did a "Purple Rain Polka" version.
-- 
Providing the mininum daily adult requirement of sacrilege...
				Rich Rosen 	ihnp4!pyuxd!rlr