IN GOD WE TRUST ... BUT THE COURTS AWARD HIGHER DAMAGES

This from Findlaw.com: a Baptist pastor in Maryland is suing a mortgage company he says willfully infringed the copyright of one of his songs by using it in radio ads. James N. Flowers Jr, pastor of Shining Star Baptist Church (Seat Pleasant, Md), says his family has a long history of performing gospel music. In 2003 Flowers wrote several songs and released a CD called "Just Inside the Gates". A year later, Flowers says, he learned that Maryland-based First Mortgage America was using a song from the CD, "Ride Out Your Storm" in its radio advertisements without his authorisation. Flowers says he obtained federal copyright protection for the song in August 2003. He has filed a complaint in the US District Court for the District of Maryland. He alleges that he asked First Mortgage to stop using the song, but the company refused, offering him just pennies as payment for its prior unlawful infringement, even while continuing to engage in what Flowers says is willful infringement. The suit seeks actual or statutory damages, as well as damages of $150,000 per infringing act.

The IPKat is concerned that, on calling his album "Just Inside the Gates", Pastor Flowers may face suit from Intel ("Inside" and Microsoft's Bill Gates) for commercially exploiting their combined reputation. Merpel wonders whether, if the Pastor believes that the love of money is the root of all evil, he might just settle for an injunction.

Money from judges here and here
Pennies from heaven here and here