Harrah’s Chester is not welcome to the ‘Space Jam,’ says the copyright owner who is suing the casino owner
The suit is the latest in a string of copyright cases over the soundtrack for the 1996 live-action animated movie
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A company that owns the rights to the theme from the 1996 movie soundtrack Space Jam has filed a federal copyright lawsuit against the owners of Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack, in Chester, Pa.
The court action against casino owner Caesar’s, filed Wednesday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, is the latest in a string of similar copyright infringement lawsuits by the copyright holder of the theme from 27-year-old movie soundtrack.
The blockbuster film — in which former NBA star Michael Jordan helps Looney Tunes characters battle hooping space monsters — also generated a legendary hip-hop soundtrack featuring artists such as Seal, Coolio, and Salt-N-Pepa.
The Quad City DJs — recording artists John McGowan, Nathaniel Orange, and Van Bryant — originally produced the titular theme for the live-action animated feature, which peaked at #37 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
While portions of the soundtrack have resurfaced in the following decades in the form of covers, internet memes, and other media aimed at millennial nostalgia, the Watson Music Group purchased the rights to the song in 2019.
It has since engaged in an aggressive legal campaign to enforce its copyright claim. As of August 2023, Billboard reported Watson had filed three suits and issued threat letters demanding “retroactive license” payments from others.
The complaint filed in the Philadelphia court this week points to a Facebook video of a 2019 kickoff event for Harrah’s on-site retail sportsbook, known as “The Book Philly.” Towards the end of the video, the song “Space Jam” appears to be playing as attendees are leaving.
The suit seeks unspecified monetary damages and contends that Caesar’s received a “financial benefit” from use of the song through “increased traffic” to its Facebook page.
A spokesperson for Caesar’s did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An attorney for Watson also did not respond to a request for comment.