Mitt Romney’s new web video, a response to the vicious Obama attack ad featuring a ghostly Mitt Romney singing “America the Beautiful,” features President Obama singing Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.” Only one problem: the owner of the song, BMG Rights Management, sent a copyright claim under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to YouTube, asking that the video be withdrawn.
Just one problem: virtually every other video of Obama singing “Let’s Get Together” – which Obama sang months ago at the Apollo Theater – is still up. Which means that BMG isn’t interested in its rights. It’s interested in Obama’s right to be free of criticism.
That’s no surprise from Hollywood – especially because the Obama administration has gone out of its way repeatedly to crack down on copyright offenders to benefit the industry. There’s nothing wrong with that; copyright violation is a serious problem. But the selective choice of Romney’s ad for a takedown notice – especially when it would likely be considered fair use by a court – shows Hollywood’s cards yet again.
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