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Phil vs Trey, is this for real?


Velvet

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I just saw this on another site. Wow, if true, but it reminds me of the obviously false Metallica thing of a few days ago.

Ex-Genesis frontman Phil Collins

Photo: WireImage

"It's just a matter of a band having the right to protect the songs named after

chords nomenclature. I couldn't start up my own soft drink company using the

name TAB." - Jill Pietrini, Collins' lawyer

LONDON - Phil Collins and Genesis are taking legal action against Vermont

jamband Phish over what they feel is unsanctioned usage of naming a song after

the chords contained in said song.

"People are going to get on our case again for this, but try to see it from our

point of view," stated Phil Collins. "We're not saying we own the idea,

individually - that would be ridiculous. We're just saying that when people see

a song acronymed for the chords it uses, what are they going to think of?

ABACAB, the title track of our 1981 album of the same name. The problem lies

with the song AC/DC BAG".

Genesis filed a trademark infringement suit against the jamband group at the US

district court for central Vermont on Monday. According to the drummer, the

continued play and recent opening of first sets with AC/DC BAG creates

"confusion, deception and mistake in the minds of the public".

Genesis' lawyer, Jill Pietrini, told us that the band decided to take legal

action only after first sending a letter of complaint to the Vermont band's

singer/songwriter, Trey Anastasio.

"We sent a demand letter and haven't reached a resolution, so we had to sue,"

she said. "They continue to shamelessly feature their rip off in such coveted

slots as first set opener and we just can't have that."

Anastasio, in the meantime, is still shocked by the entire story, and hasn't

yet decided how the band

will respond.

"I thought it was a prank at first," he told us. "Now I'm not sure what to

think I own ABACAB and it's a solid album. It's no 'Lamb Lies Down on Broadway'

of course. I can tell you unequivocably that when Tom (Marshall) and I penned

AC/DC BAG we weren't conciously trying to rip off the idea. We were just trying

to write Mr. Palmer out of the story so Tela and Errand Wolfe could have a

fling. And since they're getting nit picky, the chord structure of ABACAB is

exact A B A for the verse and then C A B for the chorus. However, in AC/DC BAG

the chord structure for the verse is A C D C, but when you get to the chorus

it's actually F A G. But shit, I was in college and there was no way I was

going to get chicks by putting out songs called AC/DC FAG.", Anastasio laughed

nervously.

Collins states that he's not trying to prevent Phish from playing the venerable

track about a truly horrifying robot executioner with a penchant for

accountants and freedom fighters, only that he feels Genesis should be credited

for it whenever play, and is calling for 42% of all revenue generated from

AC/DC BAG, 75% when it opens a set.

"It's nothing personal against them," he added. "We intend to enforce our

rights with any band intending to use Genesis-branded song named after chord

nomenclature in the future."

This marks the first time anything of this kind has ever been tried in court,

and it will be interesting to see how things develop.

Genesis' website has issued an official statement on the suit.

Phish's official website hasn't officially responded at print time. However you

may download the trial proceeding withing 24 hours at

www.livephishdownloads.com and starting this week, you may preorder court

manuscripts.

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"Collins states that he's not trying to prevent Phish from playing the venerable

track about a truly horrifying robot executioner with a penchant for

accountants and freedom fighters, only that he feels Genesis should be credited

for it whenever play, and is calling for 42% of all revenue generated from

AC/DC BAG, 75% when it opens a set."

42%

[big Grin][big Grin]

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