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D.S. - could Michael or Sony have been sued for it?

Remington Steele

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Don't get me wrong, I love it :yes: - it's one of my favorite tracks and I think it was a good thing Michael expressed his anger in that way.

Just looking at it from a neutral angle I wonder: Was it really save to release the song in that way? I can hardly imagine it helps a lot calling the song "D.S." instead of "T.S." when you can even hear him singing the correct name.

Also the lyric "You think he brother with the KKK?" - would it have made a legal difference had he sung "I think he brother with the KKK", or would this still have been within freedom of speech?
 
As long as he doesn't use his real name he's good. Using something close to that but at the same time different is always the way to go when doing a song like this. And in my opinion as long as it's about "a fictional character" he can say whatever he wants regarding that fictional character.

EDIT: I might be wrong so feel free to correct me! :)
 
yeah but AFAIK you can't deny he can be heard singing "Tom Sneddon" or am I mistaken? If so, I can't imagine, printed altered lyrics are a lot of help.
 
He actually sings "Don Sneddler" (hence why it's called D.S) not Tom Sneddon, although at one point it sounds like he says "Thomas (Sneddler?)". It's obvious who it's directed at but he couldn't actually be sued for it as its a different name lol
 
Its so painfully obvious who its directed it but as the name is changed there is nothing the authorities could have done.
 
Mike was smart when he wrote that song :p, very smart indeed.

No evidence that it was directed at Mr. Sneddon even though we fans know whom.
 
it doesnt matter because the song is called D.S so he hasnt actually put tom sneddons name in it....i love the song and think tom sneddon is nothing more than an evil old man.
 
So smart of him. He knew it just as good as we know it, who was in his minds while writing it. Without even mentioning Sneddon's name.
I love this song!
t-s-lyrics-paper3.jpg
 
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If Michael said his name and was written in the lyrics then maybe.

But did Michael sue Eminem due to his nasty video of Michael's nose dropping off? I don't think so.

All Michael did, was get upset about it. Michael could have sued.
 
AndreyZidane™;3256997 said:
As long as he doesn't use his real name he's good. Using something close to that but at the same time different is always the way to go when doing a song like this. And in my opinion as long as it's about "a fictional character" he can say whatever he wants regarding that fictional character.

EDIT: I might be wrong so feel free to correct me! :)
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I agree:yes:
 
D.S. was an epic, epic, epic revenge to this idiot. I know the accusations were horrible for Mike but it's SO cool that Michael wrote a song like that. Sadly, this idiot also took a revenge on Michael after this song, some years later.

So maybe it should have been better if this song wouldn't have been released on an official album.
 
Remington Steele said:
yeah but AFAIK you can't deny he can be heard singing "Tom Sneddon" or am I mistaken? If so, I can't imagine, printed altered lyrics are a lot of help.
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I don't know if it's my imagination, but I also think that he says "Tom Sneddon" a couple of times.

Doesn't D.S. stand for Dom Sheldon?

Anyway, I think that's an especially cool song because it's a very personal revenge song and a genuinely great song. When I first heard about D.S. and what it's supposed to be about, I thought that it would be some sort of silly gimmick. However, I actually really enjoy listening to it.
 
Cool, I didn't know handwritten notes exist of it. :) Very interesting to see those original lyrics.

diana79 said:
Doesn't D.S. stand for Dom Sheldon?
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Right, I don't get why spoonie thought it was "Don Sneddler"?


diana79 said:
I don't know if it's my imagination, but I also think that he says "Tom Sneddon" a couple of times.
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That's what I hear.

I mean, what I don't get is that people seem to think it was so "clever" to use a different name as he even seems to sing Tom Sneddons name in the song. I do wonder whether Michael & Sony (if they even knew what was going on) were willing to take the risk... and thought T.S. would take it with a sense of "humor" so to say.
I just can't imagine it's that easy to avoid being sued for that. Or as said I wonder, even if he would have officially used T.S.'s name, is this maybe just freedom of speech? Is there any U.S. law student here? ;)
 
Minimj said:
If Michael said his name and was written in the lyrics then maybe.

But did Michael sue Eminem due to his nasty video of Michael's nose dropping off? I don't think so.

All Michael did, was get upset about it. Michael could have sued.
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He said about Eminem: "It doesn't hurt" and "I hope he's having fun".
 
^^I remember he said it was "pretty painful from an artist to another artist", he later said: "Stevie says he's bullshit!"... I hate the fact that they beep'd out that part cuz I would've loved to hear Michael say that! :D

[youtube]rKE1Sc0wPLE[/youtube]

EDIT: Also, check this out...

[youtube]H8hkEbA4UXQ[/youtube]
 
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I clearly hear Tom Sneddon though, i really do, not Snedler or anything :)

And by the way, i had never noticed that at the ending you hear a gunshot, i guess i never was aware of it, until i read about it. I read how pissed this had made Tom Sneddon, so....mission accomplished i'd say. But if that's really a gun shot..it makes the song all the more shocking. CANT say i blame Mike though, not one bit.


As for the Eminem thing..i think Mike dissed Eminem in his own way. Cause he said 'real artists don't insult eachother' or something along those lines. 'Real artists' that right there is a diss. But maybe i'm wrong though...cause he said he did like his music.
 
we all know what michaels saying in the song but it isnt in the song name so thats why they cant sue him...its a great song anyway as mj says ts is a COLD MAN

x
 
I checked the History booklet and it says Dom Sheldon. I ALWAYS thought it was Don Sneddler (and I know a few others who thought so too - although I have hearing difficulties so I'm not the best judge lol) and I see the bit I thought he sang "Thomas" is actually "Dom S" which I think is quite clever :D
 
It's true at one point in the song u hear MJ say "Thomas Sneedon is a cold man"

I know "Mad Dog" didn't like the song! To bad! LOL
 
D.S. is a brilliant song, and there is no way Sneddon would have any legal argument which could stand to be scrutinized "beyond the shadow of a doubt." Yes, we all know who it's meant for, but...assuming we were completely ignorant of anything regarding Michael's life, we wouldn't know this song was referencing Sneddon--so that leaves room for doubt. The initials are D.S. and that stood for "Dom Sheldon." Therefore, there was nothing Sneddon could legally do that wouldn't automatically be considered an assumption. Unless he's willing to admit to us that he thinks others may view him this way (and we do.) :p

Of course, he could legally change his name to Dom Sheldon, show us his CIA and KKK membership cards, yet prove to us that, despite it all, he's not a "cold" man, as the song mistakenly claims--and win the day. But, that's too much of being a paranoid controller, even by Sneddon standards. :bugeyed

In all seriousness, though, that song was absolutely brilliant, and Michael covered all his bases whilst dealing one of the most epic "owns" in musical history. :p
 
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Can you please stop the "Sneddler" thing :D (look at the thread above, it's Sheldon).

Hm, never thought about "cold man" and a connection to the gun shot at the end... interesting theory, though I hope he did not mean that.

bluetopez said:
It's true at one point in the song u hear MJ say "Thomas Sneedon is a cold man"
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Can you give a time index?

bluetopez said:
I know "Mad Dog" didn't like the song! To bad! LOL
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Really? I always thought he claimed he didn't do Michael the "favor" to listen to it.
 
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