UMP campaign video breaches copyright
Party to pay damages to performer of song used in campaign video for the group's youth movement
THE UMP has apologised for using a song without the performer's permission in a campaign video that features a dozen government ministers dancing and miming.
The clip of senior politicians including finance minister Christine Lagarde, immigration minister Eric Besson and budget minister Eric Woerth promoting the UMP's youth movement has been widely circulated on the web since it leaked last week.
It uses a 1976 song by French-Canadian singer Luc Plamondon called All Those Who Want To Change The World, performed by a contestant on the French-Canadian version of TV talent show Star Academy.
The UMP said the author and composer of the original song had given their permission for the song to be used - but it appears they forgot to check with the performer.
Party spokesman Dominique Paillé said: "We had been very careful and the youth group were given clear guidelines concerning copyright."
Lawyers representing the record label have written to the party and a settlement is expected very soon.
This is not the first time the UMP has been caught out by copyright law. In April it paid €30,000 for using American group MGMT's hit Kids at political meetings without permission.
