Just one year after his successful lawsuit against Volkswagen-Audi in Spain, Tom Waits has successfully prevented another car manufacturer from
impersonating the legendary - and distinctive - singer for a commercial. In this latest case, he filed suit against General Motors? Opel and the
advertising agency McCann Erickson in Frankfurt, Germany last year.
The judgement is the latest in a line of successful legal actions the fiercely independent Waits has taken to prevent his music and image from being
associated with commercial products. Waits's first lawsuit was filed in 1988 against Frito Lay, and resulted in a US$2.6 million judgment in his
favor. That company had approached Waits to use one of his songs in an advertisement. Waits declined the offer, and Frito Lay hired a Waits soundalike
to sing a jingle similar to Small Change's "Step Right Up", which is, ironically, a song Waits has called "an indictment of advertising.
He famously condemned musicians who used songs in commercials, saying: "If Michael Jackson wants to work for Pepsi, why doesn't he just get himself a
suit and an office in their headquarters and be done with it."
As for this case, Waits noted:
I'm glad to be out of the car sales business once and for all.
Waits will donate his net settlement proceeds to an unnamed charity.clevohardcore - 1-26-2007 at 12:21 PM
I want to know more about this guys music. I ahve never listend to anything of his before. I know he is legend in his own right but I never heard his
stuff before.clevohardcore - 1-26-2007 at 12:25 PM
Can you link us to the crimescenes? I'd like to see what they are talking about.upyerbum - 1-26-2007 at 12:25 PM
He kicks ass in all respects.Voodoobillyman - 1-26-2007 at 12:37 PM
he provides music for the working class thinking man. What a model he provides, if only show business could take a few pointers from him, there would
be no star magazine E reporter bullshit because these people would act like real people instead of jerkoffs. Hats off Tom, hats off.RomanticViolence - 1-26-2007 at 12:45 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by upyerbum
He kicks ass in all respects.
Yes... yes he does.newbreedbrian - 1-26-2007 at 12:55 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by upyerbum
He kicks ass in all respects.
