If you thought the worst thing about WWE's Great Balls of Fire PPV was the fact that the promo video looks like a trailer for a Happy Days reboot (see above) or that the logo looks like a penis and testicles, or even that it's trying to bring back nostalgia for a time when much of the country still had whites-only drinking fountains, then you haven't considered the copyright implications.
According to Jerry Lawler, speaking on his Dinner With The King podcast, the lawyer for Jerry Lee Lewis was considering filing a copyright complaint.
"My personal attorney here in Memphis is Joe Barton. ... I got a phone call from Joe a few weeks ago, and Joe also represents Jerry Lee Lewis. And Joe said, 'Hey Jerry, do you happen to know who I would contact at the WWE about copyright infringement?' I go, 'What? What are you talking about?' He goes, 'Well, we understand they are doing a pay-per-view called Great Balls of Fire and Jerry Lee has that phrase trademarked. He has ever since they recorded the song.'
"So, I put him in touch with the WWE people, gave him a name. Apparently he called them and got everything worked out. Not only are they using the name, they are using Jerry Lee's song, which is awesome."
So everything worked out in the end.
Except for the dick and balls logo. And the whole "fondly-hearkening-back-to-a-time-when-black-people-had-to-ride-in-the-back-of-the-bus" thing.
Except for that, it's smooth sailing for Great Balls of Fire!
You can listen to the entire podcast below. The discussion of copyright etiquette is at the 18:45 mark.
