Rush Becomes Second Musical Act To Demand That Rush Limbaugh Stops Using Their Music
It's been a bad week for controversial radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Following offensive comments he made after Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke's testimony before Congress, more than 35 companies have pulled their advertising from his syndicated radio show. Earlier in the week, Peter Gabriel demanded that his songs not be used by Limbaugh, and now Rush has joined Gabriel.
After learning that the perpetually controversial Limbaugh played his namesake's 'The Spirit of Radio' while demanding to see tapes of Fluke having sex, the attorney for the Canadian band, Robert Farmer, has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Limbaugh's show.
The letter declares the show to be "essentially a political broadcast" which, according to Farmer, is an "infringement of Rush’s copyrights and trademarks. The public performance of Rush’s music is not licensed for political purposes and any such use is in breach of public performance licenses and constitutes copyright infringement. "
This is not the first time Limbaugh's use of music has gotten him in trouble. In 1999, Chrissie Hynde complained about his use of the Pretenders hit, 'My City Was Gone' as his theme song. However, Hynde allowed Limbaugh to play the song in exchange for a $100,000 donation to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and vocal support against chemical testing on animals.