3rd time a charm? RE : Zep sues owner of Wolfgang's Vault

[PajLvr@xxxxxxx]

Nic Santoli wrote:
Uhh...cancel that last  thought...I just found the article and re-read it
(I should have done that  beforehand) - they are suing b/c of the use of
the streams to stimulate  sales. 

I had just recalled part of the quote about using their  images....

<end quote>

Here's the article I read...probably  convey's the same thing as the one 
Carol posted, but I didn't get a chance to  read all of it, before some freaky 
power surge happened and all things blacked  out 'round here.
(sorry, don't have a link handy  either)
-VON


Members of LED ZEPPELIN are among the musicians  who
are taking a music memorabilia web site owner to
court, claiming he is  illegally selling vintage
recordings and memorabilia.

The lawsuit was  filed in San Francisco in the U.S.
District Court, Northern District of  California
against William Sagan, who operates a web site,
WolfgangsVault.  com, through which he is allegedly
promoting and selling these materials in  violation of
federal and state laws.

Sagan acquired the memorabilia  when he purchased
certain assets of the late legendary concert  promoter
Bill Graham from Clear Channel Entertainment, which
acquired  Graham's concert promotion company after his
death. Graham's archives  contained millions of
promotional items and personal memorabilia, such  as
vintage concert posters and t-shirts featuring the
musical artists'  intellectual property �~@~T their names,
voices, likenesses, photographs,  trademarks and
copyrights �~@~T which were never authorized for  sale.

Sagan has continued to expand his allegedly unlawful
practices  by offering reproductions of these items for
sale, including "reprints" of  vintage concert posters
and a new line of baby clothing featuring the  artists'
names and protected trademarks. In addition, to
increase sales of  these materials, Sagan is streaming
allegedly illegal recordings of live  concerts
performed by the artists to the public on his web site
and is  offering to "license" these recordings to other
parties.

The artists �~@~T  Grateful Dead Productions, Carlos
Santana, and the members of LED ZEPPELIN  and THE DOORS
�~@~T are represented by Jeff Reeves and Ashlie  Beringer,
lawyers with the international law firm Gibson, Dunn  &
Crutcher.

"Sagan simply doesn't have the legal rights to  exploit
and profit from the extraordinary success of these
musicians,"  said Jeff Reeves, who represents the
musicians. "This memorabilia was created  in the first
place for the purposes of promoting concerts and as
gifts for  fans and concert crew. Graham himself did
not have the right to sell,  reproduce or otherwise
exploit these materials as a promoter, and  neither
does Sagan, who was not authorized to purchase these
materials and  who has absolutely no connection to the
artists or their music."

"We  have never given permission for our images and
material to be used in this  way," said Bob Weir of the
GRATEFUL DEAD. "What Sagan is doing is stealing.  He is
stealing what is most important to us �~@~T our work, our
images and our  music �~@~T and is profiting from the good
will of our fans."

"Bill Graham  was a man of great integrity who cared
very deeply about the artists he  worked with as a
manager and promoter," said Grammy-award winning
musician  Carlos Santana, one of the artists �~@~T along
with his namesake band Santana �~@~T  affected by William
Sagan's activities on WolfgangsVault. com. "Bill was  a
close friend to me and the SANTANA BAND for many
years, and I know that  what Sagan is doing would go
against everything he believed in. I am  fully
committed to joining with other artists to protect our
work, our  rights and our legacy."