Family Guy has won a long running court battle over copyright infringement for the song I Need a Jew from the episode When You Wish Upon a Weinstein. Music Publisher Bourne Co. were suing Seth MacFarlane and producers of the show for copyright breach starting back in October 2007.
Reuters’ reports:-
“The lawsuit said the song I Need a Jew, featured in one of the animated show’s episodes, was a thinly veiled copy of the music from When You Wish Upon a Star coupled with ‘new anti-Semitic lyrics’ and had done damage to the original.
“But U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts ruled that the lyrics and tone of the song used in Family Guy were ‘strikingly different.’
“The judge also said it was fair for it to be imitated for humorous effect since the music publisher had benefited from the song’s association with other more “wholesome” shows like Pinocchio.”
Buckimion on Tuesday March 17, 2009 at 04:05:14 PM said:
Whew. Close call. Bourne Co. was suing for no less than to have all copies of Weinstein containing the song removed from sale or avaiability.
katie on Monday March 23, 2009 at 02:45:29 AM said:
I love family guy anyone that does not understand the humor behind each episode takes theirselves way too seriously.