
Ami Patel

“History is littered with candidates who used an artist’s song for campaign purposes. Many times the artist does not approve of the work being appropriated because they do not wish to be associated with the candidate,” writes Harrisburg campus student Ami Patel in a guest blog post on Associate Professor Tonya M. Evans’s website titled “The Politics of Copyright and Music on the Campaign Trail.”“I was looking for an avenue to explore a copyright issue that was different than the average textbook cases. I came across the topic of presidential campaigns using artists' songs and thought that was a unique look at a copyright law,” says Patel before adding, “I felt the issue had the potential to inspire a debate about the legality of the practice, as no court has ruled on the issue.”With campaign season in full swing and given the recent dustup between the Silversun Pickups and Mitt Romney’s campaign over the use of the song “Panic Switch,” the topic is particularly relevant. Check out the full post for more of Ami’s insight.