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Beatles-Metallica Parody Band Forced Offline

A Milwaukee-based parody band known for Metallica-infused covers of Beatles' songs has been accused of violating copyright laws.

After posting songs from their catalog online, the band received a cease-and-desist letter from Sony/ATV Music Publishing demanding that they take down their Web site and pay unspecified damages. The band had gained a large Internet following for songs like "I Want to Choke Your Band" and "Leper Madonna."

While Beatallica considers its legal options, its site remains offline. But thousands of fans -- including Metallica's drummer Lars Ulrich -- are rallying behind the band. Day to Day technology correspondent Xeni Jardin reports.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Xeni Jardin
Xeni Jardin can be heard on NPR’s Day to Day, offering technology insights for listeners nationwide. Jardin is also a contributing writer for Wired Magazine, as well as a tech culture journalist and co-editor of the collaborative weblog BoingBoing.net, the award-winning "Directory of Wonderful Things."