(Rico Blanco photo from TatayK.)JUST read a blog about how PaLaKa presidential candidate Gilbert Teodoro used a song ("Posible") of former Rivermaya frontman Rico Blanco in his latest TV ad, without the latter's permission.
Blanco has been tweeting about this, and even gives Gibo, the benefit of the doubt, until he actually saw the ad and noticed that the singer had even tried to copy his (Blanco's) voice.
Not only have Gibo and his campaign staff broken the law by not asking permission from Blanco to use his song, they're even trying to mislead the public into believing that the artist was actually singing the song, thus, making the public think that Blanco is endorsing Gibo's presidential campaign! (Sorry, was trying to find the ad on the blogs or YouTube but it's not uploaded. Either that, or it's been removed already by the brainiacs in Gibo's campaign staff.)
(Gilbert Teodoro Jr. photo from Wowel.com.)This reminds me of the lawsuit filed by singer Jackson Browne versus Sen. John McCain and the Republican Party after they failed to obtain the singer's permission for using his song "Running on Empty" in a McCain ad mocking Barack Obama's proposed energy policies, during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign.
And all the while, Gibo has been boasting that he's a bar topnotcher? Yet he nor his staff can't even follow basic IPR regulations? Tsk, tsk. Galing and Talino this one.
Then again, this IPR violation is probably the least of Gibo's legal concerns, if the rumor mill is to be believed. I hear a relative has great shooting skills. Must be a fan of Dick Cheney.
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(Dennis Garcia, left, with brother Rene on the cover of Hotdog's greatest hits album. Photo from XPrezz.)(UPDATE Jan. 8, 2010 at 1:25 a.m.) In the interest of fair play, I've published the message of Mr. Dennis Garcia, who produced the 'Posible' song for Gibo's ad, in the comments page. For those who are too young to know, Mr. Garcia, is co-founder of the Hotdog band in the 70s, and a songwriter who created such great hits like Annie Batungbakal, etc.
(UPDATE Jan. 10, 2010 at 12:30 am) Here's the controversial Gibo 'Posible' ad:
Last night, Rico Blanco officially asked the Gibo camp to cease and desist using his Posible song in said ad bec. the artist never gave consent for its use.
Warner Music, which currently manages the artist quotes Section 178 of the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, w/c says the copyright of an audiovisual work belongs “to the producer, the author of the scenario, the composer of the music, the film director, and the author of the work."
Btw, here's Posible, originally sung by Rivermaya:
