A Manhattan judge has dismissed music publisher, Bourne Co.'s lawsuit against Family Guy and its creator, Seth MacFarlane, in a case we told you about last year. Bourne Co. owns the rights to the classic tune, When You Wish Upon a Star, used in the Disney film, Pinnochio. Family Guy parodied the song in an episode even Fox originally refused to air due its material.
In the episode, entitled When You Wish Upon a Weinstein, the song's tune is used, but the lyrics were changed. The Bourne Co. called the lyrics "anti-Semitic" and claimed Family Guy had damaged the tune with the association. But the judge (Judge Deborah Batts) said the creative team of the show was well within their rights, as copyright does not protect against parody. Further, she added the tune's wholesome image is specifically what makes it ripe for parody!
© C Harris Lynn, 2009
A rambling melange of pop-culture.
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