April 29, 2007
Sun: “Threat to rock integrity”
A Sun editorial has a follow-up to the new psuedo-trademark rights I wrote about earlier this month:
“Counterfeit rockers,” editorial, Gainesville Sun, April 29, 2007.
The Legislature has passed a bill to make it illegal for a band to bill itself as a well known oldie group unless at least one current member actually did play in the original group.
“It’s really a consumer rip-off protection,” Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, chair of the Truth in Music Committee of The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation, and a one-time member of the 1970s group Sha Na Na told reporters. Apparently, aging boomers with failing eyesight and tin ears are being duped by rockers who claim to be who they are not. Clearly this is a case for the rock police (not to be confused, of course, with the original rock band The Police).
Just how dire is this threat to rock integrity?
I’m glad to hear that we don’t have any other serious issues for the Legislature to be working on. Sheesh.
This is rather odd, actually. My wife and I went to see The Kingston Trio a few months back, when they played on campus. None of the three who performed were original members of the group but they perform with the blessing of the original members. Is the current touring group now forbidden to perform in Florida as The Kingston Trio?