Attorney for Jackson Browne Responds to John McCain

Earlier this week, John McCain made comments on why it was acceptable for him to use Jackson Browne's Running on Empty in a political advertisement without getting permission. In essence, he said he was using it to run for a political office and was not trying to make money with it, so permission was not needed.

Jackson Browne's attorney, Lawrence Iser, released the following statement today in response to Senator McCain's comments:

"This case has nothing to do with selling records. Jackson Browne sued Senator McCain and his party because they failed to obtain permission to use Jackson's famous song and voice in their commercial. Copyrights for songs, like books and movies, are expressly protected by the United States Constitution. In their response to the Complaint, Senator McCain and his party contend that it is 'fair' for a candidate to incorporate the artistry of musicians, actors and writers into their campaigns without permission or compensation, with the ultimate result that these artists become unwitting endorsers of the candidate. Musicians, actors, record companies and movie studios should all be concerned by this direct assault on their constitutional and creative rights. Artists have the right to be paid for their work. We are confident that the Court and ultimately the jury will agree. We do not intend to respond further at this time, except through our court filings."