Don Henley has come to a settlement with California politician Chuck DeVore and campaign worker Justin Hart for an undisclosed amount.
The ruling came from the federal court, who ruled that DeVore and Hart infringed Henley’s copyright when they used ‘The Boys of Summer’ in a campaign ad that was posted on YouTube and other related sites.
DeVore and Hart issued the following statement:
“We apologize for using the musical works of Don Henley, Mike Campbell and Danny Kortchmar without respect for their rights under copyright law. The court’s ruling in this case confirms that political candidates, regardless of affiliation, should seek appropriate license authority before they use copyrighted works.
“Further, we regret all inaccurate, derogatory or disparaging remarks made about Mr. Henley during the course of this dispute.”
Don Henley issued a statement of his own, saying “My colleagues and I brought this lawsuit to protect our music from being taken and used, without permission, to promote someone else’s agenda. It was not a question of political ideology, but the right of artists to control the use of the works they create, and protect their livelihoods.”
The song was written by Henley, Mike Campbell (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and Danny Kortchmar and became a huge worldwide hit in 1984.
