Music firm tells school to take Tad Gram Style off net

9:51am Friday 23rd November 2012 in News

Teacher Adam Dawson with pupils, from left, Jess Orr, Ben Prudhoe, Rachael McHenery and Natalie Prince demonstrate the Tad Gram Style Teacher Adam Dawson with pupils, from left, Jess Orr, Ben Prudhoe, Rachael McHenery and Natalie Prince demonstrate the Tad Gram Style

THE creator of the internet hit Tad Gram Style has been asked to take it off the web.

The parody of worldwide sensation Gangnam Style by staff at Tadcaster Grammar School - which had last night been viewed more than 187,000 times - may have to be removed from You Tube after teacher Adam Dawson was contacted by Universal Music Publishing and asked to take it down.

It had been hoped the song, which is raising money for Children In Need, may be released as a single, but Mr Dawson has been told all adaptations of the Psy hit have been embargoed.

He said: “I think it’s a real shame. It’s had so much good publicity for Children In Need, for the school, students, staff – it’s been fantastic and I think it’s a shame they can’t continue that and release a single in its own right.

“It’s been a great success in its own right anyway. It’s been fun and I think it’s done a lot of good.”

He said money was still being donated and he hoped to negotiate with Universal.

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Comments(20)

MrsHoney says...
9:59am Fri 23 Nov 12

Stingy buggers.

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Ignatius Lumpopo says...
10:05am Fri 23 Nov 12

If I created something and someone else took it and used it for their own purposes (even raising money for charity) I think they should have the courtesy of asking for my permission, at least.

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Ignatius Lumpopo says...
10:08am Fri 23 Nov 12

If I created something and someone else took it and used it for their own purposes (even raising money for charity) I think they should have had the courtesy of asking for my permission, at least. What, for example, would the governors of Tadcaster Grammar think if one morning the school found itself covered in banners promoting the Cats' Protection League?

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capt spaulding says...
10:24am Fri 23 Nov 12

Miowe get your claws back in have a saucer of milk and hunt a few hedge sparrows.

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ReflectiveVest says...
10:55am Fri 23 Nov 12

The music doesn't belong to them and they should have asked for permission to use it. For a school not to have realized that is rather disappointing. Having said that, Universal will surely see the sense in coming to an arrangement which would give the school its fun, the charity its money and themselves some positive publicity - as opposed to the negative publicity of being called, quite unjustly, stingy buggers.

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jadestars says...
11:47am Fri 23 Nov 12

awww thats a shame .. Hopfully universal will allow it to stay online, It's not like the school are using it to raise money for themselves!

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Jo_ says...
11:50am Fri 23 Nov 12

"The music doesn't belong to them" - quite right, the music does NOT belong to Universal Music Publishing at all.

My advice to the school is consult a lawyer. I'm pretty certain that parody is perfectly allowable. Assuming they didn't sample any of the original tune they are perfectly within their rights to make a parody song of anything they like. They're not trying to imitate the song, they're lampooning it.

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Davroshasissues says...
2:09pm Fri 23 Nov 12

There are soooooo many parodies of this song, Gandalf style, Obama Style, Mitt Romney Style, Kim Jong style, youtube it, there are literally dozens if not hundreds. I'm pretty sure none of these have asked for permission to sample the song.

Surely if the school explains the situation to Universal they'd OK it, it's for charity for crying out loud...!

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Robert Davro says...
2:10pm Fri 23 Nov 12

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY YORKSHIRE PUDIINGS, HOT HOT HOT......

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Robert Davro says...
2:10pm Fri 23 Nov 12

*PUDDINGS

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Shouter says...
2:16pm Fri 23 Nov 12

Bah, humbug!
What harm is there in having something so clever and witty raising money for charity?

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Davroshasissues says...
2:41pm Fri 23 Nov 12

No idea Shouter, comic relief does it every year...

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York1900 says...
2:51pm Fri 23 Nov 12

You can not do any thing today with out big business want it share of what you do

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York1900 says...
2:51pm Fri 23 Nov 12

You can not do any thing today with out big business want it share of what you do

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bid21 says...
3:24pm Fri 23 Nov 12

And will the boys from Eton College who have done a similar thing be asked to take theirs off the internet - I think not!!

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yorkonafork says...
3:35pm Fri 23 Nov 12

Quite right too. You can't just take someone else's music and sell it off without even being consulted. It's not the making of it that's the problem it's the selling of it. Parodies happen daily.

At the end of the day, Universal will agree it's ok and this article and any follow up one will help push publicity anyway so it'll work out better.

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dsom73 says...
4:42pm Fri 23 Nov 12

You don't need permission to cover someone else's music - you just need to pay a percentage of any income directly attributed as royalties.

As all income has been for charity, Universal have clearly opted for the option that makes them look less greedy - they could have sued for 100% royalties plus damages, and would've won hands down.

The embargoe speaks volumes though - they're obviously trying to protect recording rights rather than copyrights due to the popularity of the song making for good background music for TV & film. If they allow anyone to record it, anyone can get paid for those most lucrative royalties.

Smart move by Universal to be honest. Eton style may or may not get the same treatment depending on whether any income could be directly attributed to it.

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yorkborn66 says...
12:33am Sat 24 Nov 12

I really wish the school did not carry on miss representing itself. Your school has not been a grammar school for years!
When I first watched this on YouTube I wondered about royalties and permissions etc.
Well done to the school for a brave effort and thinking outside the box .

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lindyloon says...
11:44am Sat 24 Nov 12

This was briliant, I went to Tad Gramm, many mons ago, & I loved watching the video. Up yours to the Universal People :P

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Mrsc2011 says...
10:22pm Sun 25 Nov 12

yorkborn66 wrote:
I really wish the school did not carry on miss representing itself. Your school has not been a grammar school for years!
When I first watched this on YouTube I wondered about royalties and permissions etc.
Well done to the school for a brave effort and thinking outside the box .
Yorkborn66 not sure you can say school misrepresenting themselves because they called Tadcaster Grammar! Grammar schools went out with the ark and most parents with school age children are well aware of that fact! I couldn't care less about the name of the school my children attended as long as the teachers were innovative caring fun and inspired my child to do their best. Tad grammar has some fabulous teachers! Am sure they 5k they have already raised will be put to good use by CIN lets hope universal have a change of heart

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