Hey, did anybody squawk when the song was used on an episode of the Simpsons? Remeber? "This log, it used to be a tree"? Everybody sing now - This song is your song, this song is my song...

Wow... this so-called intellectual property bullshit has gone way too far... Now, you can't even share humor with people for free....

that must suck like hell........................ how can they not know copyrighted songs......................

The lawsuit will never go far because: 1) Parody is protected by copyright laws. http://www.publaw.com/parody.html 2) Woody Guthrie gave the rights to that song over to the public domain. The original copyright notice attached to This Land is Your Land (and others) reads as follows: "This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright # 154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin’ it without our permission, will be mighty good friends of ourn, cause we don't give a dern. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, that’s all we wanted to do." [http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=115991&cid=9817123] 3) Woody Guthrie didn't even own the melody. The Carter Family's "Little Darling Pal of Mine" is the original tune. http://www.jsfmusic.com/Uncle_Tom/Tom_Article2.html

I don't know if anyone reading this remembers the jovial folksinger and actor Burl Ives (known to billions of kids as voice of the snowman narrator in "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer"). At his funeral a couple of years ago, his widow related that back in the 30's he shared a house in Southern California with actor Eddie Albert (later of "Green Acres" fame). One day Burl came across some destitute refugees from the Oklahoma dustbowl, and he generously invited them to move into the house until they got back on their feet. This turned out to be Woody Guthrie and his family. I bet they had some pretty incredible late nights of drinking and singing (not unlike when Paul McCartney and Johnny Cash were neighbors in Jamaica).

I'm getting even with them. See my own parody of "This Land...." tomorrow morning! -- MM

For anyone who wishes a sneak peek...... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spoofsandparodies/message/149

Wasn't it Woody Guthrie, not Arlo Guthrie, that wrote "This Land Is Your Land"

Yes, it was, Amy. It even says so in the CNN article.

But if Woody is dead, then Arlo probably inherited the copyright. And he's probably getting Officer Obie's help in enforcing it (lol) -- MM

man, I gotta stop making those mistakes when I write headlines. I'll fix that.

Imagine that!; I always thought that imitation was the sincerest form of flattery...but of course, that was pre R.I.A.A. and their bloodsucking masters in Hollywood. It's often been said that "be careful what you wish for...because it may come true." Without imitation, I'm afraid that the following industries (to name but just a few) would all be out of business...moviemaking, song writing, television production, and fashion design would all be in deep sh*t. Who in the name of God is Ludlow Music trying to kid? Poor Woody must be rolling in his grave.

FYI... Arlo does NOT own the rights to "This Land"... the rights are owned by Ludlow Music, which has no affiliation with Arlo at all. Arlo LOVES the parody... you can hear his comments on NPR's website at http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=3810407