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unusual facts about Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.



Acuff-Rose Music

In dispute was the use by rap artist Luther Campbell (then using the alias "Luke Skyywalker") and his band 2 Live Crew of a substantial amount of the Roy Orbison hit song "Oh, Pretty Woman" in a parody.

Lefty Frizzell, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, Roy Orbison, Don Gibson, The Everly Brothers, Mickey Newbury, Dallas Frazier, and Whitey Shafer were some of the significant songwriters signed exclusively to Acuff-Rose in the '50's, '60's and early '70's.

Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.

Souter reasoned that the "amount and substantiality" of the portion used by 2 Live Crew was reasonable in relation to the band's purpose in creating a parody of "Oh, Pretty Woman".

The members of the rap music group 2 Live CrewLuke, Fresh Kid Ice, Mr. Mixx and Brother Marquis—composed a song called "Pretty Woman," a parody based on Roy Orbison's rock ballad, "Oh, Pretty Woman."

Suntrust v. Houghton Mifflin

In permitting parody without permission, the decision follows the previous United States Supreme Court decision in Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. which ruled that 2 Live Crew's unlicensed use of the bass line from Roy Orbison's song "Oh, Pretty Woman" could constitute fair use even though the work was a commercial use, and extends that principle from songs to novels.


see also