The Red Hot Chili Peppers filed suit today against Showtime Networks over a new show called "Californication." In 1999, the band released a hit album with the same name. That album was named one of Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All Time.
The suit, filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges Showtime and others violated federal trademark law. In the court documents, the band says the song "Californication" and the album achieved "extraordinary critical and commercial recognition," and according to a statement by lead singer Anthony Kiedis, "'Californication' is the signature CD, video and song of the band's career. For some TV show to come along and steal our identity is not right."
Band members want the show to stop using the name and to turn over any profits it made.
A rep for Showtime could not immediately be reached for comment.
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No surprise there...when I first saw the commercial for that show, I wondered what the Chili Peppers would have to say about it. Now we know! Why didn't that occur to the people from Showtime?
I thought they had a deal with the Chilli Peppers...sneaky bastards.
WHATEVER! TRHCP already got enough money. Give the freakin show a break!!
He looks so familiar. Seems saw him on a celebrity and millionaire dating site called wealthymingle.com. I'll help you guys check it out. What if it is true. That would be great.
Notice that the RHC waited until the show was a hit before they sued -- even though the show has been heavily advertized for months.
They should embrace the show, revised their song for it, and rake in the royalties instead of mounting this loser lawsuit.
for one... I highly doubt The Chili Peppers are suing anyone, more like their RECORD COMPANY is suing Showtime. Because that's the type of crap record labels resort too now... but at the end of the day, the Chili's coined the phrase, pay up bizatches!
I always thought it would have been a brilliant move had Duchovny et al acquired the rights from RHCP for the song to be the theme. Sadly, RHCP remind me of Jaggar and the Rolling Stones when they eviscerated the Verve for the riff from Bittersweet Symphony...Why is it that the rich just want more and have to waste the courts time on such greed and frivolity? Why couldn't the RHCP and the producers meet on there own and make a charitable contribution instead of this crap??!!
@#4
Yea thought the Chili Peppers "Sold out"
Now i feel better they DID'NT..!!!!
Isn't that the song they were accused of ripping off from Tom Petty?
I wondered when I saw the promos... I thought maybe they'da cleared w/Chili Peppers first. DUR!
Yea, I don't think they are going to get any profits they made. Its a TV show, the name did not make the show alot of money. The show is one of my favorites!!
You mean to tell me that Show time or HBO has a show named after a band and it is not a band?
I love the red hot chilly peppers they did drugs they got clean they are true artists man.
I say no to the show. Man i have that show even on demand and I have never HAVE WATCHED IT OR WILL WATCH IT UNLESS ANTHONY KEDIS IS ALMOST NAKED WITH A LIGHT BULB ON HIS HED!
