Did you see the claim by Charlie's Records NYC that Angostura used the opening line from deceased Calypsonian Explainer's (Winston Henry) song Lorraine without permission? Rawlston Charles owner of Charlie's Records alleges that Angostura did not get permission to use the opening line of Lorraine, "Taxi, Taxi. Airport Kennedy" for their advertising campaign. It has become a matter of contention, who will emerge victorious is yet to be determined.
Rawlston Charles is claiming copyright infringement and wants to be compensated now that the brand has gained thousands of views and perceived improved sales because of the advertising campaign and use of the copyrighted material.
Angostura has denied culpability and COTT (Copyright Organization of Trinidad and Tobago) is dragging its feet on the matter. The outcome is uncertain for now and could lead to continued "kankalang" until the grownups sit down and resolve the copyright issue. We love to complain about the law and lawyers, but Angostura should do the right thing and pay for use of the copyrighted material if they knowingly used the material to their benefit and did not compensate the owners of the lyrics.
Here is what we found regarding the use of copyrighted material even lines in a song.
Q: What are the legal ramifications of reproducing song lyrics in a manuscript? If permission from each copyright holder is necessary, what’s the best way to secure these permissions? Also, can I use a song title as the title of my book? — June Youngblood
A: Song lyrics are copyrighted, which means you need permission to use them. According to our legal expert Amy Cook, there isn’t any specific law about how much you can take under fair use, but it’s common for the music industry to say you need permission for even one line of a song.
Source: https://www.writersdigest.com/legal-questions/can-i-use-song-lyrics-in-my-manuscript
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Production Notes/Music Credits:
Song Title: Lorraine
Artist/Performed by: Explainer.
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