White Stripes Threaten To Take Action Against Air Force

The White Stripes and their management have accused the Air Force Reserve of swiping “Fell in Love with a Girl” for a recruitment commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. “We believe our song was re-recorded and used without permission of the White Stripes, our publishers, label or management,” the band writes in a statement on their official website. “We have not licensed this song to the Air Force Reserve and we plan to take strong action to stop the ad containing this music." I would love to show you the blatant misuse of the song through the commercial, but it has since been pulled from the Air Force website.

A comparison of the White Blood Cells single and the Air Force Reserve commercial reveals that the music is nearly exactly the same, with Jack White’s guitar riffs firmly intact and another guitar replicating the cadence of the original vocal medley. The commercial initially seems like an X Games ad until three fighter jets fly into frame during its final seconds. The “Grab Some Air” recruitment spot “features the high-octane thrills of action sports at its best. This is sure to capture the interest of even the most enthusiastic sports fan,” the Air Force Reserve site writes while listing two-dozen television markets where the ad will air. The Air Force Reserve makes no mention of the White Stripes.

“The White Stripes takes strong insult and objection to the Air Force Reserves presenting this advertisement with the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war we do not support,” the Stripes write. “The White Stripes support this nation’s military, at home and during times when our country needs and depends on them. We simply don’t want to be a cog in the wheel of the current conflict, and hope for a safe and speedy return home for our troops.”

Online opinions seem very split between Sarah Palin's "Hardworking American People" and those with an actual education behind them to form a learned opinion. Those who choose not to read into the entire issue see this as a White Stripes vs. Troops/Military/America, when in fact we are talking about a copyright case. The U.S. Government and major publication companies are on a warpath of their own to enforce selective copyright rights against consumers and artists while breaking those same laws themselves. In this situation, our government paid someone to rip off a band without giving them credit, payment, or choice.