Smashing Pumpkins sue Virgin Records

Long time alternative rock band, The Smashing Pumpkins, are suing Virgin Records for illegally using the band's name and music in a promotional campaign for Amazon.com and Pepsi Co.

The Smashing Pumpkins, who recently released their album Zeitgeist in 2007, have been a big name in the music industry since the early nineties with the release of their debut album Gish in 1991. Furthermore, the band has been on the Virgin record label for more than 17 years and has never had any issues or disagreements on promotional marketing with the label prior to this lawsuit.

According to the Pumpkins, the record label's decision to promote the band through the Amazon website and the use of Pepsi products is a blow against the band's credibility with fans and threatens their long term reputation for "artistic integrity." The lawsuit against the label claims that the only agreement made between the band and Virgin was granting permission for the label to sell digital downloads of the Pumpkins' songs. Furthermore, the agreement did not give Virgin the right to use the band in promotional marketing for outside products.

In a statement on the Pumpkins' website, frontman, Billy Corgan, states, "We fought hard for the right to be in control of how our music is used, to avoid situations like this kind of crass commercialism and exploitation. Labels like EMI are no longer running the show, and we won't be bullied by those in the 'old' music business who consider every artist to be easily expendable. Those days are over."

With the lawsuit at hand, it's a wonder what the future holds for record labels like Virgin and musicians fighting back against faulty promotions of themselves and their music. The Smashing Pumpkins just may have opened the door of a new kind of attitude toward record labels in the music industry.