WHERE MUSIC LISTENS TO YOU

Paul Simon sues Japanese clockmaker for using song

Posted about 1 year ago

Paul Simon sues Japanese clockmaker for using song

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singer and songwriter Paul Simon sued a Japanese clockmaker for $5 million for copyright infringement on Friday claiming the company used one of his songs as a composition on their clocks.

Simon's lawyers accused clock company Rhythm Watch Co Ltd, and its U.S. subsidiary Rhythm USA Inc of using Simon's song Bridge Over Troubled Water on 40,000 of its clocks in the last three years without his permission.

The lawsuit called the song "one of the best known songs throughout the world in popular music" and cited Rhythm's "Grand Nostalgia Clock" as one that plays Simon's song without permission as well as other popular songs including My Way.

Bridge Over Troubled Water was the title song of Simon and Art Garfunkel's final album together, released in 1970.

Rhythm was established in Tokyo in 1950 and has its U.S. headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. It manufactures, distributes and sells clocks in Japan, the United States, India and Hong Kong, the lawsuit said.

A license fee for using the song would have cost more than $1 million and the lawsuit estimated Rhythm had profited more than $5 million from the sale of clocks that use the song.

Comments (5)

  1. Madeline Burke says

    Time, time, time...look whats become of me.

    Permalink posted 07/18/2008
  2. fairportfan says

    Somebody was definitely a little hazy on the concept, there...

    Don't know if it was winter, though.

    Permalink posted 07/18/2008
  3. fairportfan says

    Does anybody really know what time it is?

    Permalink posted 07/18/2008
  4. Madeline Burke says

    It's beer-thirty over here, Hoss!

    Permalink posted 07/18/2008
  5. indiepixie says

    ahh the trials and tribulations of artists...

    Permalink posted 07/19/2008

Comment on this Post

Login using email and password below.

Forgot Password?

Don't have an account?
Join MOG. It's Free!

© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved