The political race for Governor of New Jersey is neck and neck. It has been an extremely close battle between former Senator and incumbent Governor John Corzine and his challenger Chris Christie. Each candidate had some advantages entering the race. Mr. Corzine is the incumbent and a democrat in a state where there are 700,000 more registered democrats than republicans. He has former President Clinton and President Obama campaigning for him. Mr. Christie was appointed as U.S. Attorney by President George W. Bush and has developed a persona as a straight shooter and a leader who eliminates corruption.
However both candidates have some factors working against them. Mr Corzine's first term was characterized by some of the worst economic conditions in the history of the State of New Jersey. The economic collapse cannot be solely blamed on the governor, but the fact that he is a former chairman at Goldman Sachs isn't helping him distance himself from New Jersey's banking crisis. Mr. Christie has been forced to answer questions regarding his relationship with some of his family members who are convicted mobsters. So the people of New Jersey must choose between A former Senator/Goldman Sachs chairman or a U.S. Attorney/Gangster. It's no surprise that the race is very close. Citizens of New Jersey can't decide which crook is worse.
But now there is a new factor. There is some fresh dirt just dug up, and it's our favorite kind, politicians committing copyright infringement. Apparently Mr. Christie used some copyrighted material in one of his campaign ads. I love when I read these stories about politicians who steal copyrighted material and use it in campaign ads. Since I've been doing this blog I've realized, this happens all the time. Every week there is a new story about a politician using copyrighted music, photos, and even writing without proper permission to do so. This is even more disturbing coming from Mr. Christie, a former U.S. Attorney who has been practicing law for 22 years.
So what was the copyrighted material in this case? Is it a song in a campaign commercial, a photo in a campaign poster, or a plagiarized quote in a campaign speech? Nope, it's a Monty Python comedy sketch. Mr. Christie uses Monty Python in an attempt to humiliate Corzine in an attack ad. It's actually kind of funny and surreal at the same time. Monty Python in a political ad for Governor in a pretty large and influential state.
Of course no one asked the guys from Monty Python if it was O.K. to use the skit and they are not happy. They have threatened to sue Mr. Christie and seem pretty serious about it. Maybe this will be the last straw in a very close election and Mr. Christie will be sent packing, but he's not dead yet. Don't put him in the cart.
Here are some links to the story, the first story has a link to the ad.
Didn't seem to influence the outcome of the race, though. Remember all of the songs McCain used in his campaign? He had musicians right and left claiming copyright infringement. I'll be interested to see if the Knights of Nee prevail.
ReplyDeleteJoe,
ReplyDeleteInteresting blog entry. I worry about copyrights when I use material on my blog. I always check to see that logos can be used for educational purposes.Keep up the good work.
Christine Walker