According to a flier the Capitol Steps, the satirical, topical singing group from Alexandria, VA, sent me, 2 Live Crew (not Milli Vanilli, as I misstated in a thread on plagiarism in General Questions) was taken to court by the music publisher that owned the rights to Roy Orbison’s song “Pretty Woman.” The case went to the U. S. Supreme Court. In the flier it said that the Steps wanted to present an amicus curiae brief on behalf of 2 Live Crew. I called the 800 number given in the flier and suggested they adduce the case of Irving Berlin et. al. vs. E. C. Publications, Inc. [MAD Magazine], a case decided in the U. S. Circuit Court–Second Circuit, I believe–serving the region New York State is in. According to the ruling, as found in the online database at www.usscplus.com , 2 Live Crew won. But the online report on the case makes no mention of the Capitol Steps or any amicus curiae brief. Have I missed something here?
I’m guessing the Steps sent you the letter back when the case was in court and not now.
According to a New York Times article about the case,
I not sure if they appeared personally, but they did get their say either way.
You don’t appear in court if you file an amicus brief – the brief is part of the documents turns over to the Justices.
Originally posted by mojo85
They did. Not surprisingly, I had been introduced to The Capitol Steps on the Dr. Demento show (who hasn’t?) and I was already on their mailing list; I still am. But I haven’t been able to see the published opinion on the case in the official reports, or Lawyers’ Edition or West’s Supreme Court Reporter. The online record of the case at www.usscplus.com made no mention of amicus curiae briefs or the Steps’ cassette. Thanks for the information. 
And, no offense, Chuck–I think you could have phrased your last sentence more clearly.