Friday, October 19, 2007

In re: Parrotheads v. Carrotheads


It's Jimmy Buffett, not Warren Buffett- he gets so confused!

As a casual legal observer, the Parrothead v. Carrothead copyright infringement controversy between Jimmy Buffett and the Six Flags amusement park chain (now owned by Washington Redskins' answer to George Steinbrenner, Dan Snyder) looks like a frivolous lawsuit. But according to the inside word, gleaned from the keen mind of astute legal analyst Susan Rabinowitz, this may not be such a slam dunk, after all.

"Jimmy Buffett's Parrotheads raise a lot of money for charities," Ms. R told me. "They probably don't want to be confused or identified with a 'for-profit' venture such as Six Flags." And therein lies the rub. I thought Jimmy was being heartless, as the Carrotheads are a kids' fan club for Looney Tunes characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the Tasmanian Devil (now an endangered species!) who attend the amusement parks, ride the roller coasters, and buy the swag readily available there.

Others have a different take on it, claiming that the 10,000 or so kids in the Carrotheads Club (so named for the nerf headgear shaped like a carrot worn by the wee tykes) don't deserve to have the plug pulled on their fun, noting that they would not be easily confused with the margarita-swilling, Hawaiian shirt-clad Parrotheads that habitually follow Buffett, creating sold out performances at every venue he visits.

Personally, I think its way over the top, and that Buffett and Six Flags, and Looney Tunes copyright owners Time/Warner/AOL should shake hands and get over it, so that nobody's Mommy and Daddy have to explain why the kids' club is banned by a cease and desist order from the Federal Judiciary. Maybe they can even do a joint fundraiser for some of the charities that Jimmy supports, complete with cartoon icons, and smiling children.

Or maybe they just feed Buffett to Taz, with a little salt and lemon, and see whether all that tequila he's absorbed over the years has a negative impact on the creature's ability to belch.

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