Background and Writing
After the enormous commercial success of their 1978 hit "Y.M.C.A." which unexpectedly became the unofficial hymn and powerful advertising tool for the YMCA, the group took on another national institution, the United States Navy. The Navy contacted group manager Henri Belolo to use the song in a recruiting advertising campaign for television and radio. Belolo gave the rights for free on the condition that the Navy help them shoot the music video. Less than a month later, Village People arrived at the San Diego Naval base where the Navy provided them with the USS Reasoner (FF-1063) warship, several aircraft, and the crew of the ship (with the stipulation that they couldn't dance). The Navy later canceled the campaign after protests erupted over using taxpayer money for a music video of a controversial group.
In a landmark ruling in 2012, the United States District Court for the Southern District of California ruled that under the Copyright Act of 1976, Victor Willis can terminate his copyrights to songs written by him and granted to the publishers Can't Stop Productions and Scorpio Music because "a joint author who separately transfers his copyright interest may unilaterally terminate the grant." In The Navy and other hits written by Willis (for Village People and other Can't Stop acts) will revert back to him beginning in 2013. At a minimum, Willis will own (recapture) 33% of his songs; this percentage may increase to 50% if the songs are proved to be written solely by Willis and Jacques Morali, with no contribution from Belolo.
Read more about this topic: In The Navy
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