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Celebrity Justice
Prince, Record Label Go Crazy over Dancing Baby

Posted Oct 27th 2007 12:59PM by TMZ Staff

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."

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46. Everyone involved is an IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 1:40PM on Oct 27th 2007 by K

47. OOh...found another one : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um_5tgLmNfc

Posted at 3:10PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Peach

48. Some parenting advice for Stephanie Lenz: less makie videos- more takie for haircuts & readie user agreements

Posted at 1:41PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Sephanie NoSenze

49. This stupid. This is the type of stuff I hate about the music industry and artists. It is a video of a baby dancing to the song. Thats it! She probably owns the CD, but if not who cares?

This should only be an issue when people download songs and make bootleg CDs to sell for a few bucks. That is wrong. But if I buy a CD and decide to make a copy for my friend and GIVE it to them. That is my business. People didn't just start doing that when burning CDs and DVDs became common practice.

People have been dubbing tapes since the 80's, or even going as far as to record songs off the radio

Posted at 11:59AM on Oct 29th 2007 by Diddy

50. The video isn't about Prince or his music. It's about the baby playing and dancing, and the music is just in the background. I assume this mother bought the music, so she is doing absolutely nothing wrong (though she might want to rethink buying anything from Prince or Universal after this fiasco).

Of course, Prince thinks that everyone who watches it is more enthralled with his crappy music than they are with the cute baby. Wrong, Prince. Nobody in their right mind cares about your music. Truth is, I wouldn't have even noticed the music at all, since I find the baby's dancing far more interesting than some crap you recorded back in the early 80s.

So this just shows how stupid Prince really is, and that Universal is no better.

Posted at 1:43PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Puh-lease

51. If she was actually making any money from it this tiny little video it would be different, but she's not. Are Prince and his "posse" so desperate for attention that they resort to picking on a child?

Posted at 1:50PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Nicole

52. This isn't piracy or anything close to it. The reason alot of people choose to download music legally or illegally is part of the record companies fault.

For years they stopped selling singles. Now with places like Itunes and Rhapsody people can buy individual songs. In the late 90s it was hard to sind CD singles in any stores. Forcing people to buy full albums was what started this.

Artist come out with albums with one or two good songs on it. Most people don't want the entire album. Most CDs I have in my car are mixed CDs with top songs from various artists.

How often does an artist release an album with 12-15 good songs from top to bottom. Good thing Itunes and stuff is around, or people would still be raiding free sites.

Posted at 11:59AM on Oct 29th 2007 by Diddy

53. How many kids does that woman have? Geez.

Posted at 8:44AM on Oct 29th 2007 by Sir Boo

54. I couldn't even make out the music in the background. If you'd held a gun to my head I couldn't have identified the song or the musician. What idiocy on the part of YouTube, Prince, and the music industry in general. They are determined to alienate their customers with their backward notions regarding technology and its use by the public.

Posted at 3:39PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Liz985

55. It's nice to see everyone operates off money now a days =)
... not.

Posted at 8:28PM on Oct 28th 2007 by Phil

56. Prince, you're an ass, and Universal you're the hole.

Posted at 1:56PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Snarky Bitch

57. @37 a -- Exactly! That's what I tried to get across in my post. My nieces and nephews are AMAZING and priceless, to my family, that is. Wanna see a home video? Didn't
think so.

Oh yeah and to some other posters, most people who buy CDs don't know the production company or the distribution company, whether it's Universal or another entity, so good luck with your phony BOYCOTT!

Posted at 1:58PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Here we go...

58. you know why he's so mad??? because that cute little baby is Way Taller than he is

Posted at 2:00PM on Oct 27th 2007 by smallville

59. Memo to Prince and ABC:

Shut up whiny little Bitches

Posted at 2:13PM on Oct 27th 2007 by Fanna

60. its a baby! a cute one too! and now prince is getting bad publicity. for being an ass

Posted at 2:13PM on Oct 27th 2007 by stephanie

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