House Copyright Subcommittee chairman Howard Coble (R - NC) took an uncharacteristic swipe at musician Don Henley during hearings Thursday (May 25) in Washington, D.C., regarding the controversial "work for hire" provision, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Coble did not verbally enter the remark into the record, but in written testimony distributed to reporters, the Congressman included the following jab at Henley, who is a co-founder of the Artists Coalition, a group urging ratification of global copyright
Protections:
"I would like to close by delivering a Valentine to Mr. Don Henley, one of the more conspicuous critics of this subcommittee's work. Instead of attending the hearing today, he has chosen to promote his new album, scarily entitled 'Inside Job,' in Austin, Texas. Mr. Henley, if you are within the sound of my voice, I hope you get carpal tunnel syndrome from counting all the money you make, compliments of the Copyright Act and
the Congress which wrote it."
Coble decided not to include the remarks, written by his staff, in his testimony because he felt they went too far, he later told The Hollywood Reporter.
"He took all kinds of shots at us," Coble said. "He's in Austin promoting his new album instead of coming here. When I heard that, I felt if I used it, it would put me in the same gutter from which he's been trashing us."
Henley, who was indeed in Austin preparing for a performance on A&E's "Live By Request," responded to the comments by saying he was both "mad" and in "utter disbelief."
"Mr. Coble and his staff should be scared by the title song on my album because it pointedly refers to such travesties of justice as occurred today in his hearing, where the highly paid lobbyists of the media conglomerates prevailed over the rights of artists to own their own creative works and pass the fruits of their labors on to their children and grandchildren," Henley told the Reporter. "Mr. Coble is not big enough to admit that a mistake has been made, so he wraps himself in the cloak of self-righteousness and uses the perceived authority of his office as a sledgehammer.
"Mr. Coble and his colleagues should remember that regardless of party affiliation, they work for all of the American people -- not just some of them," Henley continued. "I was told that Mr. Coble was a Southern gentleman, so I am taken aback by the kind of hateful, petty rhetoric that he spewed at me today in my absence. He exhibited behavior unbefitting a U.S. congressman. More importantly, he has aided and abetted the film studios and the record companies in perpetuating the plantation mentality that has forever plagued our industry. Men like Mr. Coble must have been exactly who Texas political writer Robert Sherrill had in mind when he gazed at the Capitol building and observed, 'Built for giants, inhabited by Pygmies.' "
Henley explained that he had attempted to have the date of the hearing changed, as it conflicted with the A&E performance that was scheduled months earlier, but he was unsuccessful. "I had always intended to attend this hearing, but they kept changing the date," he said.
Henley further explained that had his commitment been to a regular concert, he would have "canceled in a minute" to be able to attend the hearing. "I'm not making a nickel on this show. This show is deficit-financed," he told the Reporter, adding that production costs for the special exceed $1.5 million. "[T]he real question is how much money the record companies, which are now owned by the film studios, are going to make through the complicity of our elected officials."
Coble did not verbally enter the remark into the record, but in written testimony distributed to reporters, the Congressman included the following jab at Henley, who is a co-founder of the Artists Coalition, a group urging ratification of global copyright
Protections:
"I would like to close by delivering a Valentine to Mr. Don Henley, one of the more conspicuous critics of this subcommittee's work. Instead of attending the hearing today, he has chosen to promote his new album, scarily entitled 'Inside Job,' in Austin, Texas. Mr. Henley, if you are within the sound of my voice, I hope you get carpal tunnel syndrome from counting all the money you make, compliments of the Copyright Act and
the Congress which wrote it."
Coble decided not to include the remarks, written by his staff, in his testimony because he felt they went too far, he later told The Hollywood Reporter.
"He took all kinds of shots at us," Coble said. "He's in Austin promoting his new album instead of coming here. When I heard that, I felt if I used it, it would put me in the same gutter from which he's been trashing us."
Henley, who was indeed in Austin preparing for a performance on A&E's "Live By Request," responded to the comments by saying he was both "mad" and in "utter disbelief."
"Mr. Coble and his staff should be scared by the title song on my album because it pointedly refers to such travesties of justice as occurred today in his hearing, where the highly paid lobbyists of the media conglomerates prevailed over the rights of artists to own their own creative works and pass the fruits of their labors on to their children and grandchildren," Henley told the Reporter. "Mr. Coble is not big enough to admit that a mistake has been made, so he wraps himself in the cloak of self-righteousness and uses the perceived authority of his office as a sledgehammer.
"Mr. Coble and his colleagues should remember that regardless of party affiliation, they work for all of the American people -- not just some of them," Henley continued. "I was told that Mr. Coble was a Southern gentleman, so I am taken aback by the kind of hateful, petty rhetoric that he spewed at me today in my absence. He exhibited behavior unbefitting a U.S. congressman. More importantly, he has aided and abetted the film studios and the record companies in perpetuating the plantation mentality that has forever plagued our industry. Men like Mr. Coble must have been exactly who Texas political writer Robert Sherrill had in mind when he gazed at the Capitol building and observed, 'Built for giants, inhabited by Pygmies.' "
Henley explained that he had attempted to have the date of the hearing changed, as it conflicted with the A&E performance that was scheduled months earlier, but he was unsuccessful. "I had always intended to attend this hearing, but they kept changing the date," he said.
Henley further explained that had his commitment been to a regular concert, he would have "canceled in a minute" to be able to attend the hearing. "I'm not making a nickel on this show. This show is deficit-financed," he told the Reporter, adding that production costs for the special exceed $1.5 million. "[T]he real question is how much money the record companies, which are now owned by the film studios, are going to make through the complicity of our elected officials."
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