Annoying? Maybe. Guilty of copyright infringement? Probably not.Ken Aronson of Hoquiam claims he’s got grounds to sue bullhorn-wielding documentarian Michael Moore. But judging by the lawsuit he’s just filed in Tacoma, it sounds like his real beef is with a friend.A decade ago, Aronson was in London when he decided to record said pal crossing Abbey Road on his hands. The friend fell, hurt his shoulder and was treated at an English hospital. Flash forward a few years. Before filming his 2007 jeremiad against the health care industry, Moore’s production company puts out a call for user-submitted tales of woe. Aronson’s friend sends video of their London trip along with a song they wrote to commemorate the occasion, called “Oh England.”It portrayed an American talking about the higher standard of care in British hospitals, so Moore decided to use it. And that’s when Aronson decided his copyright had been infringed.Aronson claims he had no idea his friend kept the film. And says that Moore should have first contacted the original owner (him) to ask for permission before putting it in his movie.Aronson’s lawsuit doesn’t specify how much money he’s seeking. It just asks the court to award him part of the $50 million “Sicko” grossed, due to the “negative impact” it’s had on his “business expectancy.”
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