Celebrity Justice
Prince, Record Label Go Crazy over Dancing Baby

In the battle between record companies and Internet users over copyright issues, an 18-month-old baby dancing to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" finds himself smack in the middle.

Stephanie Lenz posted a 29-second video clip of her son dancing to the Prince track back in February, according to ABC News. In June, she received an email from YouTube saying that her video had been removed at the request of Universal Music Publishing Group, and that she could have her YouTube account canceled in the event of any future copyright infringements.

In response to Universal's "takedown notice," Lenz filed a "counter-notice" and her video was restored six weeks later. For its part, YouTube told ABC that they are bound by provisions in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to honor all takedown and counter-notices.

In a statement released to ABC, Universal said, "Prince believes it is wrong for YouTube, or any user-generated site, to appropriate his music without his consent ... It's simply a matter of principle."

Reader Comments

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31. That is so supid, you can only hear the song clearly for a few seconds. Is everyone who posts a video with music being heard in the background gonna be sued for copyrght infringement now? Prince is just a money hungry, pissy little baby hater!

Posted at 1:25PM on Oct 27th 2007 by sara

32.
Prince is a jerkweed joke - he should be flattered anyone remembers his pitiful career!


Posted at 1:25PM on Oct 27th 2007 by V

33. I'm just shocked Universal isn't suing the baby.

I can't wait til M$ or whoever buys youtube, another great site down the drain.

Posted at 1:29PM on Oct 27th 2007 by wonkers

34. BOYCOTT BIG LABEL MUSIC!!!!!

Posted at 1:36PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Dizzle

35. Prince...don't you have something better to do than to get all upset over a 29 second video. Besides the kid dances better than you and sure as HELL looks better. Get a life.

Posted at 1:33PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Lesa

36. Are you serious???!!! He should be happy someone is still listening to his music! I don't see anything wrong with this video. Prince needs to go make music and quit picking on the little people.

Posted at 1:34PM on Oct 27th 2007 by KC

37. CALL ME #24 CAUSE I KNOW JUST HOW TO DO IT.

Posted at 1:32PM on Oct 27th 2007 by DINA LOHAN

38. #1- The kid is fugly, Mom should refrain from posting vids of him on YouTube

#2- All children between the ages of 10 and 24 months will dance to music like off-kilter slinkies- it's nothing special honey- we've seen it before

#3- It's sad that Prince is being dragged into this and being made to look like the bad guy. It's not his fault that a half-wit midwestern housewife can't be bothered to read rules & agreements when she signs up for user accounts. (she's too busy making "priceless" home videos of her children doing "AMAZING" things!)

Posted at 1:37PM on Oct 27th 2007 by a

39. That "baby" AKA crook! Needs to be locked up as does his mother!

GOD BLESS THE RECORD INDUSTRY!

Posted at 1:35PM on Oct 27th 2007 by FUTURE CRIMENAL?

40. We should all go one step farther for Mr. Prince and just not dance, sing along to, or most of all BUY any of his music.

Not a big stretch for most of us these days anyway.

How petty and silly can you get?

Posted at 2:24PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Kitty

41. If Prince is behind this lawsuit, and not his "people", then he's more pathetic than we all thought. If it's his "people", then he should fire his people for being stupid. In this sue-happy environment these days, this one is the most pathetic of all. The clip of the baby was adorable, by the way.

Posted at 1:37PM on Oct 27th 2007 by pattijen

42. It's sad that a mother would teach her child to steal so young. ):

Posted at 1:36PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Disgusting!

43. The record industry needs to protect itself like any other business.

Team Prince!

Posted at 1:44PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Get a clue people!

44. Doesn't Prince and other artists realize that someone might hear their song on YouTube and decide they like it so much they want to buy it?? I've been introduced to people on YouTube and liked them because of it. So what's wrong with this kind of publicity??
I doubt Prince is losing money on a video like this.

Posted at 1:39PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Suzi Kues

45. prince is played out!

http://www.spymac.com/details/?2290046

Posted at 2:05PM on Oct 27th 2007 by christy

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