Shirelles lawsuit against "Baby It's You!"

#1

Shirelles lawsuit against "Baby It's You!"

Posted: 4/27/11 at 11:57am

Some of the musical stars feel exploited.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/dailymusto/2011/04/girl_group_laws.php#more

#2

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:01pm

Could this be the nail that seals the show's coffin?

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"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them." -- Walt Disney We must have different Gods. My God said "do to others what you would have them do to you". Your God seems to have said "My Way or the Highway".

#3

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:03pm

Lulz

#4

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:05pm

Funny how they used a Shirelles european release on the Fontana label to illustrate that article and not an American release on Greenberg's Scepter label.

I don't know if it's been discussed here but what is the exact reason that "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow"? is not in the show?

Updated On: 4/27/11 at 12:05 PM

#5

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:08pm

uh oh.

#6

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:10pm

This (like the lawsuit threatened against MDQ when it opened on Broadway) seems so ... calculated.

The show was doing amazingly well at Pasadena (as MDQ was doing in Chicago long before Broadway). Why not sue them then? When it began? Why wait for Broadway? Seems fishy to me.

#7

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:12pm

How interesting that the news comes out on opening night... seems just the teeniest bit calculated.

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~Lina Lamont


My name wasn't, isn't, and will never be Scott.

#8

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:20pm

I was thinking the same thing. Why now? The show has been around for awhile now. Why didn't they initiate this lawsuit when the show was in development?

#9

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:23pm

It is interesting how the lawsuit has nothing to do with unauthorized use of the Shirelles music (which I assume the production obtained the rights for) but for "unauthorized use of names, images and biographical information."

I don't know about the images, but I was under the impression that you could legally use the names and biographical information of public figures as long as it wasn't used in a libelous manner.

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"You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering." --Harold Hill from The Music Man

#10

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:40pm

Calculated is right. Is this what stars of the past do when they can't make any money anymore?

They have had since the very inception of this musical to file a suit. Bad timing....bull! Someone is looking to make a profit and waited until the show came to NYC to do so. Just sayin.

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"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium!"

#11

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:48pm

Also, the producers of the show HAD to have sought legal advice before backing this musical, making sure all of the name use and such was legal. It seems so stupid that this lawsuit is arising. That, or the producers made one crucial mistake before signing the checks.

#12

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:57pm

"They have had since the very inception of this musical to file a suit. Bad timing....bull!"


No they didn't. That's not how lawsuits work. At the very inception of the musical how the hell would they be able to prove the musical is infringing if the musical hasn't been written yet?

#13

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:58pm

confused... what is MDQ?

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"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."

#14

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 12:58pm

Hey, if YOU were gonna sue to A) earn money and B) get media attention, would you sue Pasadena Playhouse for pennies and a mention in the Pasadena papers, OR would you wait for Broadway and do it on opening night and get worldwide attention and a potential killer settlement?

No mystery here, folks.

As the old saying goes: you can take the girl out of the ghetto, but...

#15

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:01pm

"No they didn't. That's not how lawsuits work. At the very inception of the musical how the hell would they be able to prove the musical is infringing if the musical hasn't been written yet?"

Read billyboyA's' post..I meant since the show opened in California.I'm not a mind reader and I am sure the lawyers aren't either.

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"Sticks and stones, sister. Here, have a Valium!"

#16

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:05pm

Are they telling the Shirelles' actual story in this show? Or Dionne Warwick's?

Or is this another Dreamgirls-type fictionalized account?

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"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

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blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

#17

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:06pm

Well they do say in the playbill that certain things have been changed/dramatized. I guess that's what they take issue with.

#18

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:08pm

But it's their life story on the stage? If so, they (might) have a case.

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"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

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blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

Updated On: 4/27/11 at 01:08 PM

#19

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:10pm

Eh, kind of I guess. It's about 20% their story, 20% of the white lady's story and 60% pointless songs that have nothing to do with anything at all.

#20

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:12pm

Actually, the more I think about it, they probably don't have a case.

Only if they were using material that belonged to the Shirelles, or using their actual likenesses (Shirelles photos, etc.) to sell the show. I could see them winning that.

But if it's just look-alikes and sound-alikes, singing songs that the Shirelles don't own the rights to, that probably won't cut it in court.

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"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

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blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

Updated On: 4/27/11 at 01:12 PM

#21

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:13pm

Maybe they're just embarrassed to be associated with this p.o.s.

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Faced with these Loreleis, what man can moralize!

#22

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:15pm

"Defamation of character." LOL

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"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

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blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

#23

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:17pm

LMAO @ Jordan: It's about 20% their story, 20% of the white lady's story and 60% pointless songs that have nothing to do with anything at all..

#24

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:25pm

"confused... what is MDQ?"

Million Dollar Quartet

#25

Shirelles lawsuit against 'Baby It's You!'

Posted: 4/27/11 at 1:26pm

LOL. Well am I wrong?