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LONDON Prince’s devotees are in danger of being formerly known as fans after the American pop star threatened to sue them for breach of copyright for using his image.
His lawyers have demanded that the three biggest unofficial websites dedicated to the singer, set up by his fans, remove all of the musician’s photographs, lyrics and album covers.
The move has prompted Prince fans to fight back by setting up a coalition named Prince Fans United, which represents the sites Housequake.com, Princefams.com and Prince.org. The coalition said that it would challenge the legal action, claiming it was an attempt “to stifle all critical commentary about Prince”.
Its website claims that the legal “cease and desist” notices affected photographs taken by fans of their own Prince tattoos and personalised Prince number plates.
The website goes on to say that Prince’s lawyers have asked the three sites to provide them with “details of the means by which you propose to compensate our clients”.
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Prince is a musical genius, that is first and foremost, his talents extend well beyond 99.9% of all of today's musicians and those in the past as well. Only a few artist reach the lofty artisitic level he has acheived.
This current legal battle has nothing to do with his feelings for fans, it is about artist rights, period. I wish that all artist would use their resources to fight agains all forms of piracy. Although Prince can easily afford to loose some money to pirates, untimatley his "battle" will shield people like Norah Jones, Corrine Bailey Rae, and perhaps even some of your sons and daughters who create art of various kinds. It is artist like these that never reach million sale status that need to benefit from their art and all things that derive from it, their pictures, their clothes, their whatever else, come together to generate funds for the artist, those funds allow them to create! it is hard to create after 8 hours on the assembly line or telemarketing. FAMS not fans
lorrell , kansas city, kansas
nope, he had not much 2 do with the symbol's creation. it is an old symbol for the soapstone, it's something to do with alchemy. he claims it was created out of frustration with record lables and such, yet he still uses them. it's gonna take some serious funk 2 win me back. and, i'm done.
azifucare, chillcothe, ohio
The Symbol (with horn motif) was created by a German graphic designer if I remember rightly, although I think there has been some dispute as to whether it was in fact a copy of another existing design.
...as for Prince suing his fans - nothing new I'm afraid. He's always been a control freak.
Andre Crabtree, Paisley Park,
I say we settle this in a Reality show (LOL). I have been a fan 4 a while now and I love his music, whatever he allows us to see/hear is fine with me, after all it is his art creation. However I think he has to also realize there r ppl. out there who feel betrayed by all this drama and he should try to make peace.
Michelle Cook, SHerman,
I hope prince succeeds because I would rather not see his image anywhere. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! Time to stop buying and using corporate recordings. There are many superior grass roots artists who deserve a much greater audience. We do not need corporate music!!!!!!!!!
John, Bloomington, USA
Hey,is Prince such a big shot.Does he really tink to himself as a prince?
I believe there's a little mismatch.
Music is about Communication,not lawyers !
alessandro briganti, fiorenzuola d'arda, italy
A question regarding this 'symbol' that some of his moronic fans have tattooed on their bodies... Did he invent or create it, or did he appropriate it himself?
Prince's Nightmare, Dover, DE