I'll bet he didn't make out all that great. I agree there may have been some infringement, but keep in mind (If I remember correctly), they didn't really play his song! They recorded a kid with an iPod who was singing his song!

Actually, the large majority of lawyers are extremely principled. Most people go into the business because they want to do some good (various degrees of course). Can you say that about many other professions? Of course not.

What is sad is that dealing with the system, often sleazy clients or situations, and the general nature of the world makes many lawyers begin to feel betrayed by the fact that they can't make as much of a difference as they wanted. Yep, they earn a living for what they do. Shocking.

What is pathetic is that so many people are completely clueless about the law, the legal business, and the world they try to address, that they hate the lawyers, and lump them all together because they are too inflexible of mind to grasp the possibility of another side to something.

If there weren't lawyers willing to take the unpopular position, we would have many, many fewer rights, safeguards and protections against an all powerful government or despot.

Maybe this seems simplistic, but it is true, nonetheless.

Make all the lawyer jokes you want, when the time comes when you need one suddenly they are saintly saviors.

There are principled lawyers, but they are a small minority compared to the portion of lowdown, unabashed sleaze who give the legal profession the bad name that it has rightfully acquired.

Or the low down sleaze that blames an entire profession of people simply because they are too narrow minded.

You are exactly the sort of person that would no doubt seek out the sleaziest guy you could find in the event that you needed one.

Meanwhile, the other lawyers, judges and others with a clue how any of this works just shake their heads that the one truly sleazy lawyer still gets business, despite being borderline incompetent.

Lawyers don't win by being sleazy. They lose their reputation and get their butts kicked by being sleazy. They win by working hard, and making their case according to the law. It is true that they can win by convincing a bunch of non-lawyers of the righteousness of their cause. . . but then, it's the non-lawyers who make those decisions. (they're called juries)

I would personally rely on the ethics of 90% of the lawyers I know vs. the ethics of someone who would make such an idiotic comment. What ethical obligations does your profession have? Heh. yeah.

"Look, I love Apple just as much as everyone else here, but that doesnt always make them right. They were wrong on this one. End of story."

So let me get this straight - if you are a music store, you aren't allowed to provide samples of your product to your customers in your advertising?

Apple was right here. They're selling his products, they have an implied right to communicate what they sell.

And don't think HE is going to get any money... remember, it's the label that generally holds the copyright, not the artist.

Actually he owns it all. He definitely owns the rigths to the lyrics, which is all that's at issue here (since they didn't use the recorded version).

"So let me get this straight - if you are a music store, you aren't allowed to provide samples of your product to your customers in your advertising?"

D'UH! not without permission. You can say Apple was right all you like. But the law said Apple was wrong.. and now i'm telling you. you are wrong! =P

BTW: If Apple was right, why did they settle? get a clue, hayesk!