A federal judge has ruled that a parody on an episode of Family Guy did not violate the copyright of the Oscar-winning song ‘When You Wish Upon a Star.’
Music publisher Bourne Co., the copyright owner, filed the lawsuit against the creators of the FOX animated series in 2007, claiming that a parody version of the song, titled ‘I Need a Jew,’ had violated their copyright and done damage to the song’s wholesome image, Reuters reports.
The song, which won an Oscar for Best Original Song in the 1940 animated Walt Disney classic Pinocchio, was strikingly different than the Family Guy version in lyrics and tone, according to U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts.
The episode featuring the song was considered too controversial for Fox to broadcast when it was originally completed. It eventually aired on Cartoon Network in 2003 and has since appeared in reruns.
