In news that should interest anyone stung by Clive Palmer’s incessant re-election advertising, Universal Music Publishing has hit the mining magnate with legal action alleging he breached their copyright over the Twisted Sister tune We’re Not Gonna Take It.
[jwplayer ogf981l4]
The Sydney Morning Herald reports Universal filed legal action against Palmer on February 6 due to alleged similarities between Palmer’s recent advertisements and the band’s 1984 hair metal hit.
We’ll let you compare the two tunes. First, Palmer’s version, including the words he claims he penned himself:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR37IQsucGE
And Twisted Sister’s track, complete with its quintessentially 1980s video clip:
The legal action itself isn’t entirely unexpected, as the band has been aware of Clive Palmer’s ads since the beginning of the year.
Guitarist Jay Jay French called out Palmer on January 2, saying the band does not endorse the former member for Fairfax and did not permit the use of their song in his ads.
Vocalist Dee Snider also disavowed Palmer, who then challenged him to a public “sing-off” so “fans can decide which one they like best.” Obviously that tempting invitation was rebuffed.
Snider also claimed Palmer contacted Universal about licensing the track and was informed of its licensing fee, but decided to record his own version without handing over the necessary cash.
For what it’s worth, Palmer has questioned Twisted Sister’s claim over the tune, trundling out the argument that We’re Not Gonna Take It takes inspiration from the hymn O Come, All Ye Faithful. It’s a bold assertion, to say the least.
It’s a lot to take in, but this kind of drama is almost to be expected from one of Australia’s most stunt-prone public figures. A preliminary hearing has been set for the first week of March. Throw it on the Clive Palmer Legal Dispute pile, we guess.
