This might be an indication of which direction the curing PFU situation will end up.
-----
LOS ANGELES - A feud involving the man who sang "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" could wind up in court, just in time for Christmas.

Elmo Shropshire was sued for breach of contract Monday by a company that claims he interfered in a $1 million-plus deal to sell musical trucks, bobblehead dolls, snow globes and cookie jars featuring characters from an animated show based on the novelty song.

The tale about Santa mowing down a tipsy grandma with his sleigh was first heard in 1979 and has become a holiday favorite. It inspired a 2000 animated TV program that continues to run seasonally around the world.

The Fred Rappoport Co. of California contends it has the rights to use the song for products featuring characters from that program. Rappoport claims it got those specific rights under a 2004 settlement of a lawsuit filed by Shropshire.

The new lawsuit, which seeks at least $2 million in damages, was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. It contends that Shropshire this month improperly sent cease-and-desist letters to two companies that made a deal with Rappoport to market products featuring characters from the animated show.

Shropshire, who lives north of San Francisco in Novato, contended Tuesday that he was legally enforcing his rights to the song.

Rappoport "can sell any characters he wants from the movie," Shropshire said. "But I own the copyright from the song. He can't use the song without my permission."

Shropshire continued: "The song preceded the (animated) show by 20 years. There are a number of companies that license that song from us to make toys and to make CDs and to make a number of things. They're not going to feel so good if we allow someone else to use it for free."

With any luck, the judge will find for the public and rule that song can never be played again.

RodeoSchro said:

I can't tell - Are you saying that his ownership of the copyright doesn't matter?

TANKAEFC said:

He's saying that the song fucking sucks.

JustErin said:

Yes, that is what I'm saying.

RodeoSchro said:

So by that logic, I can then come into your house and use your stereo without your permission, because if I want to use it, I should just be allowed. Yeah, right. Give me a damn break!

RodeoSchro said:

Next you'll be saying that the dogs barking "Jingle Bells" sucks too...

TANKAEFC said:

No...he's saying that he doesn't want anyone, anywhere, to ever hear that song again for all eternity...plus a few weeks more.

I sooooo need to find the parody that was done "New Kids Got Run Over By a Reindeer"

Danny, Donny, Joe, John, Jordan
or was it really
Larry, Curryl, Shemp and Moooeee-ooooe

TANKAEFC said:

Sure, as long as you don't play "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer". Absolutely.

Byron said:

I'm confident I speak for all humanity when I say that song fucking sucks.

RodeoSchro said:

I like it ...

Sing it, grampa...!!

Byron said:

Ha! I *love* the barking dogs. They reach artistic heights that Elmo Shropshire and his hackneyed company could only dream of.

Byron said:

Well then, you must not be a human.

RodeoSchro said:

There's something about hearing that old man cheerfully singing about his wife getting killed that just says "Happy Holidays"...

EskomoKisses said:

psychodelicide said:

I swear, I've been hunting for 3 years now to put it in my Christmas Mix

Byron said:

I feel the same way about "Christmas in Compton" by Run DMC. Also, "Die Hard" is my ultimate set-the-mood Christmas movie.

So I feel ya...

EskomoKisses said:

I'm looking for it too, now that you mentioned the song. I didn't know it even existed, but it sounds like a funny tune.

psychodelicide said:

It's a matter of principle. If you're using anything that you don't have permission to use, there's a word for that - THIEVERY!

TANKAEFC said:

Thievery or not, if people want to get their hands on something they want that they should not get legally, they will. It's going to be pretty hard to stop it, IMHO.

I'm still waiting for the Hex Hector and Peter Rauhofer mixes of this...

this is different than what prince is doing. maybe in one particular instance prince has dealt with this kind of legal matter, but this doesn't resemble to me what is going on with PFU/web sheriff at all.


and the song fucking sucks.

Anxiety said:

And the blue and silver candles...
That would just have matched the hair in grandma's wig...

TANKAEFC said:

Exactly. And if we outlaw "Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer", then no one can use it illegally, since no one can use it at all.

Everyone wins with my plan!

Anxiety said:

"grandma died 4 u"

Tom said:

LOL.

I wish you had the Tom MySpace avatar. Because that's who I think of whenever I see "Tom".

No offense.

Anxiety said:

RodeoSchro said:

While I get your humor a li'l more, it still is not funny on one level, but I think that what the PFU issue will do is remind people of something, namely that the songs are copyrighted to protect them for what they are meant to be used for - our listening pleasure.

As far as the argument that people will do whatever to get their hands on it, that is true, sure no method is going to be 100% effective, but this begs the question: Do you let ants continue to invade your kitchen, or do you do something about it? There's this mentality that's been going around that says, "I'm gonna do whatever regardless, so you should just let me have my way." I was raised that if you do mess up, you have to take responsibility for your actions, and if that means consequences or punishment, so be it.

And furthermore, if it were up to me, people who committed stupid crimes would have an added charge similar to how we prosecute for hate crimes.

TANKAEFC said: