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 Record Label Battles Homophobe Preacher Over
Song
by The Associated Press
Posted: May 18, 2007 - 11:00 am ET
(Topeka, Kansas) A church known nationally for
picketing soldiers' funerals is being accused by a music company of violating
copyright laws with an Internet video parody of the 1980s song, ``We Are the
World.''
A lawyer for Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist
church said Thursday the parody, ``God Hates the World,'' is protected under
constitutional rights of freedom of speech and religious expression. She said
the church will continue to post the video on its website.
Westboro Baptist pastor, Rev. Fred Phelps, has
garnered attention in a campaign against homosexuality.
The church contends soldiers' deaths in Iraq and
Afghanistan are God's punishment for a tolerance of homosexuality in the United
States.
``It's all our effort to deliver a faithful
message to this generation,'' said Shirley Phelps-Roper, church lawyer and
daughter of the pastor.
But Warner/Chappel Music Inc. of Los Angeles said
the video infringes on its copyright to ``We Are the World.'' The song raised
money for famine relief the video featured some of U.S. music's biggest stars,
including Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen.
``According to our records, no request has been
made to use the Composition, no authorization has been granted nor has any license
been issued for the use of the Composition on the website,'' Kelly Isenberg, the
company's director of legal and business affairs wrote in a May 8 letter to the
church.
Isenberg wasn't available for comment in her Los
Angeles office and didn't return a telephone message.
The parody follows the ``We Are the World''
video's format of showing a group of singers - Westboro Baptist members - in
front of a microphone. The rewritten lyrics include: ``You are all a part of the
devil's family and the truth, you're all headed straight to hell!''
Westboro Baptist's picketing of soldiers'
funerals led Congress and 34 states, including Kansas, to enact laws attempting
to restrict such protests. It regularly protests at gay and HIV/AIDS events.
Thursday it said it would demonstrate at the
funeral of Jerry Falwell. (story)
©365Gay.com 2007
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