Amateur Guitarists Everywhere Are Wondering Whether Open-Mic Nights Might Be Next

Governor Spitzer turns his finely tuned ear towards the inherent fraudulence of cover bands:

Knockoff music acts that impersonate the real performers can face fines up to $15,000 under a new law in New York.

“Music artists work for years to build names for themselves in the entertainment industry,” Gov. Spitzer said yesterday after signing the amendments to the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law. “We should not allow others to impersonate their work and profit from that deception.”

Called the “Truth in Music Advertising Law,” it prohibits copycat performances that attempt to cash in through false and misleading representations like names, billings and promotions similar to the original artists.

The measure was inspired when well-known recording artists like the Platters, the Coasters and the Drifters suffered financial losses when their acts and routines were copied without permission, according to the governor’s office.