The Email...

 

"Max Gilardi,

It has been brought to my attention that you are including the master recording of "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" by "The Losers Lounge" in your animated video "Native American Cats." The Losers Lounge is my client, and because we have not granted clearance for this usage, I am writing to you now to inform you that your unauthorized use of this song is illegal and in violation of copyright law. For this reason, you must cease and desist in the use of this recording immediately. If the video "Native American Cats" which includes our master of "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" is not removed immediately from youtube, as well as ANY AND ALL other forms of media on the internet or otherwise, we will have our lawyers contact youtube directly in order to secure your removal from their site. We will also aggressively pursue financial compensation from you for the unauthorized and illegal use of our properties, and if necessary we will pursue criminal charges for the misappropriation of our copyright. This is your only warning.

Sincerely,

Chris Dell'Olio
Master Mind Artist Management"

 

My Response...

 

WANAC has been removed from Youtube, and is currently in the process of being removed from Newgrounds.com. Those are the only two sites on the web I knowingly submitted it to. If it exists somewhere else on the internet, I can’t help you. You’ll have to contact those sites separately.
WANAC took a painstaking 9 months to produce, from concept to final product. I feel the short was (unfortunately) dependant on the inclusion of that song, so I have chosen to not make a second version with different music. In addition to me spending a ridiculous amount of my own free time on it, it might interest you to know that I did not turn a profit from it in any way. I didn’t see a single dime. The entire thing was a labor of love, given to the masses without charge, and was done solely for the purpose of artistic expression.
While, admittedly, the short would be inappropriate for children, I would hardly describe it as tasteless. It was well written, well animated, and actually had a very sweet message about being true to yourself. God forbid an animated short ever be “deep”, you know? Many people (including some native Americans) have actually written me e-mails saying that they found WANAC emotionally significant. I take great pride in the fact that I have been able to touch a select few, if only for a short while. I don’t know how much of the success that this cartoon has experienced I owe to using your song, but if it is, in fact, more than I conceive in my brain, then I thank you. I credit the song in the closing credits of the short, and I never claimed it to be my own. In addition, I would like to think that by including the song, it has reached some people who would not have heard it otherwise. I would have thought that YOU would be thankful for THAT, but I guess not. Silly me.
I considered leaving WANAC up on the Internet, but your email was just so darn persuasive, you know? For example, I really liked the way you USED ALL CAPS TO SHOW YOU WERE SERIOUS. I really think that helped you GET YOUR POINT ACROSS. You telling me you would “aggressively pursue financial compensation” was also great. Nothing shows more class than threatening litigation against an unemployed 19-year-old who lives with his parents. I can say without hyperbole that the only money I have to my name right now is currently in my pocket. It’s not the kind of money that folds, either. It’s the kind of money that jingles. Lastly, I want to thank you for pointing out that this was “my only warning”. You saved us both so much time by skipping over the preliminary warnings. I implore you, don’t go misinterpreting my enthusiasm here as sarcasm. I really am genuinely afraid of you. Do you live in the closet, like the Bogeyman, or do you prefer to terrorize children from under the bed?
At the end of the day, it IS your song, and you have every right to tell me what I can and can’t do with it. You completely have the law on your side, and I have absolutely no argument. Instead of spouting a bunch of cuss words and insults like the punk you think I am, I decided to leave you with one final, pressing question…

…Seriously, don’t you have anything better to do?

Cheers!

~Max Gilardi, Destroyer of Worlds

 

So, that's that. I want to thank Egoraptor, Azure and Rubberninja for
lending their voices to this cartoon. It really was one of my favorite
projects, and I'm sorry this had to happen.

Here are some images from We Are Native American Cats...

 

 

...And yes, I know I'm being overly dramatic about all this.
So sue me.

...no pun intended.