Politician Uses Images of Disturbed and Other Bands Without Permission

Posted on Nov 1st 2010 6:00PM by Amy Sciarretto Comments

DisturbedGetty Images

What is it with politicos and their flagrant disregard for copyright and permission laws? Some politicians 'borrow' band's songs without asking -- it happened to Rush and John Mellencamp -- and use them in campaigns that are often at odds with the songwriter's own beliefs, which is bad enough. But Campbell County, Ky. attorney James A. Daley has gone too far, borrowing images of Uproar main stage tourmates Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold and Stone Sour in a politically-motivated flyer subtly suggesting the band dudes are of the criminal element.

Disturbed issued a statement on the matter, saying that an attorney for singer David Draiman and guitarist Dan Donegan -- who are featured on the flyer -- sent a letter to Daley and ordering him to immediately cease and desist distributing all copies of the flyer. Disturbed have asked that Daley stop handing out the flyer and destroy any remaining copies.

What is all the hoopla about? Well, the flyer attacks Steve Franzen, Daley's opponent for the County Attorney's office in the Nov. 2 election. It contains text that implies that the individuals in the photos are "criminals" who have engaged in "child pornography, unlawful transactions with minors, assaults on police officers and drug trafficking." You can't simply use an image of a band without asking their permission; that would be like walking into a store and just taking items without paying them because you feel like it. It's also slanderous to make such implications, as well.

Franzen was interviewed on WLWT News 5 in Cincinnati, calling the flyer "despicable," saying that none of the folks in the photo are his clients and that he had never seen them before. The flyer was certainly an egregious error in judgment on Daley's part.


Filed under: News, Metal Minutia

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