John McCain Apologizes to Jackson Browne

Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne and his attorneys settled a lawsuit last month after presidential candidate John McCain, without Browne's consent, used the singer's 1977 hit, "Running on Empty," in an online commercial during his presidential campaign against Barack Obama last year.

Although an undisclosed amount of money was involved in the settlement, the real solution, according to Rolling Stone, revolved around an apology from John McCain, the Ohio Republican Party, and the National Republican Committee. "The ORP, RNC and Senator McCain pledge in future election campaigns to respect and uphold the rights of artists and to obtain permissions and/or licenses for copyrighted works where appropriate," reads a statement from McCain's settlement team.

Browne, whose musical career began in the 1960s and includes hits like "Doctor My Eyes," "Somebody's Baby," and "You Love the Thunder," hoped the apology was sincere. When asked by Rolling Stone if he should have pursued more legal sanctions, Browne said, "We didn't think that was as important as having them say they were wrong and it was a mistake. I think we did the right thing and they won't do this again." The singer did add that if then presidential candidate Barack Obama had approached him with a request to use his song in the Obama campaign, Browne would have given him permission.

Source: Rolling Stone