Crist Has to Apologize Over David Byrne Song

(Newser) – Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist had to eat crow today—on YouTube. As part of a settlement with David Byrne for using a Talking Heads song without permission, Crist had to post a video with a formal apology, reports the Orlando Sentinel. "I pledge... More »

(Newser) – Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist had to eat crow today—on YouTube. As part of a settlement with David Byrne for using a Talking Heads song without permission, Crist had to post a video with a formal apology, reports the Orlando Sentinel. "I pledge that, should there be any future election campaigns for me, I will respect and uphold the rights of artists and obtain permission or a license for the use of any copyrighted work," said Crist. His Senate campaign last year used "Road to Nowhere" in a spot against Marco Rubio.

Byrne sued for $1 million, and it's not clear whether he got any money in addition to the apology. But he seemed pretty happy: "It turns out I am one of the few artists who has the bucks and [guts] to challenge such usage," he said in a statement. "My hope is that by standing up to this practice maybe it can be made to be a less common option, or better yet an option that is never taken in the future." Less »