Harry Shearer's Lego regrets for upcoming Spinal Tap DVD

By April MacIntyre Aug 17, 2009, 0:42 GMT

Sometimes Global Corporations really are a buzz kill.

Lego Systems, the U.S. division of the global Lego Group, has blocked permission for a fan-made Spinal Tap video featuring Legos that represent the Spinal Tap band to be included on an upcoming concert DVD.

According to the New York Times, the stop-action Spinal Tap tune “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight” was created and posted to YouTube by Coleman Hickey in 2007.

Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean even showed it during their recent “Unwigged and Unplugged" Tour.

Their pending DVD release of their shows will not be allowed to include the usage of Hickey’s video.

“We love that our fans are so passionate and so creative with our products,” Julie Stern, a spokeswoman for Lego Systems, told the New York Times. “But it had some inappropriate language, and the tone wasn’t appropriate for our target audience of kids 6 to 12.”

“YouTube is a less commercial use,” Stern explained. “But when you get into a more commercial use, that’s when we have to look into the fact that we are a trademarked brand, and we really have to control the use of our brand, and our brand values.”

“Lego are the only people who strictly said no. It was Lego Kafka,” Shearer quipped to the Times, referring to other copyright deals the band made for the DVD, including one with The Rolling Stones.

Lego video creator Hickey was bummed about the missed opportunity to be included in the Spinal Tap concert DVD:

“In a way I’m disappointed … It’s not like I was going to get any money for it, but it’s too bad,” Hickey told the Times. “Lego has the right to do that, but it’s unfortunate that they don’t have a little more of a sense of humor.”