Music Clash Over a Film Score

A well‑known director and a celebrated composer are upset that a piece of music from their earlier film was used in a documentary about the former first lady. They say the score should be taken out of the new movie. The director is working on a film that has recently been nominated for an Oscar. The composer wrote the music for that film and owns the rights to it. They claim a company released the score in the documentary without asking them first. The two artists have asked that the music be removed. They say the company broke a contract by not consulting them before using the piece. The documentary makers, however, say they had all the necessary permissions.No lawsuit has been filed against the company that released the music. If there was a mistake, it would be with that company rather than the documentary team. Some observers think the director and composer are using this issue to appeal to certain voters. They worry that staying silent might look like they agree with the film’s content. It is unclear whether the composer will get any money from the original use of the score. They might choose to donate it instead.