Lego Says No Go To Spinal Tap Video

The latest company to remind us that just because they produce a product that provides us with fun and amusement is Lego, who has denied the inclusion of a fan video depicting Spinal Tap's Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You animated with Lego figures on Tap's upcoming concert DVD. Yeah, Legos are made for kids, and Spinal Tap is anything but, but Legos are more than just a childrens' toy, having had a massive cultural impact over the last several decades while garnering an increasingly large adult following.

Not that it's a sure thing that Lego even has the right to deny use of the video in the first place, what with it likely falling under Fair Use and all. However, the band's legal rep said that they simply weren't interested in investing the time and cost needed to fight the company.

Kia Kamran, an intellectual property lawyer representing Spinal Tap, said the band could have prevailed had Lego sued alleging copyright infringement, because Mr. Hickey’s video does not show the brand’s logo and is satirical. But the band did not deem the fight worth the expense, he said.

“In my heart of hearts, I do think this is fair use” of copyrighted material, Mr. Kamran said.

Harry Shearer, the voice of several characters on “The Simpsons” and a member of Spinal Tap (with Christopher Guest and Michael McKean), said other copyright holders, including the Rolling Stones, whose “Start Me Up” was used in Spinal Tap’s concert footage, granted permission for use on the DVD, which will be released Sept. 1.

“Lego are the only people who strictly said no,” Mr. Shearer said. “It was Lego Kafka.”