There was much consternation last month when This Charming Charlie, the Tumblr that so brilliantly mashes up panels from old “Peanuts” comic strips with The Smiths lyrics, announced it had received demands from Universal Music Publishing Group that it take down posts over what it claimed was an unauthorized use of the band’s lyrics.
Today, though, Morrissey, in a statement posted to True To You, has come forward to stress that he wasn’t consulted on any such action, and, that, furthermore, he is “delighted and flattered” by This Charming Charlie’s use of his lyrics with the Peanuts characters and “hopes that the strips remain.” He notes that he personally is represented by Warner-Chappell Publishing, not Universal Music Publishing.
The timing’s a bit odd, though: The Los Angeles Times reported late last month that “Universal says it’s no longer pursuing the matter.” Lauren LoPrete, the blog’s creator, initially complied with the first takedown requests and announced the site was ending. But she later removed that post, and instead revealed she was fighting the matter on fair-use grounds.
So in the end, This Charming Charlie continues… with Moz’s blessing.
Read Morrissey’s full statement below.
6 October 2013
Morrissey would like to stress that he has not been consulted over any takedown request to remove the Tumblr blog named ‘This Charming Charlie’.
Morrissey is represented by Warner-Chappell Publishing, and not Universal Music Publishing, (who have allegedly demanded that the lyrics be removed).
Morrissey is delighted and flattered by the Peanuts comic strip with its use of Morrissey-Smiths lyrics, and he hopes that the strips remain.
He’s so sweet!!! (I mean Morrissey … Snoopy …)
:)
qotita ??????
another suggestion for Charlie in bed:
“I don’t want to wake up on my own anymore”