July 21, 2009 22:30

Jackson Browne settles lawsuit with Republican party

Musician gets apology from GOP

A suit filed by Jackson Browne against the Republican party in the US has been settled, with an apology offered by the party for using a song without Browne’s permission last year.

The song ‘Running on Empty’ was used during and ad in Sen. John McCain’s bid in the Presidential election against Barack Obama. The party has promised never to use any songs without permission in the future.

"This settlement is really a great affirmation of what I believed my rights to be, and all writers' rights to be," Browne told The Associated Press. "One would hope that a presidential candidate would not only know the law but respect it. It was a matter of bringing that issue to bear."

Browne didn’t want people to think he supported McCain in the campaign, as he is a supporter of Obama.

"Thousands of people come to an event or they see it on TV and they see John Mellencamp's song being used or Ann and Nancy Wilson's song being used and they assume a kind of solidarity and a kind of endorsement that simply does not exist," he said.

--By our New York staff.
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