MILAN (AP) — On the same day, Amber Glenn won Olympic gold as part of the team eventand stepped away from social media due to backlash against her comments about politics and the LGBTQ+ communitythe American figure skater got a headache again.
Canadian artist Seb McKinnon, who produces music under the name CLANN, took to social media late Sunday to object to the use of his song “The Return,” which Glenn had used in her free skate — and has used without issue for the past two years.
“So I just found out that an Olympic figure skater used one of my songs for their routine without permission. It was broadcast all over the world… what? Is that common for the Olympics?” McKinnon posted on Xshortly after the team competition ended.
Figure skaters must obtain permission for the music they use, but the process is far from easy.
Andy Cheung via Getty Images
Sometimes the label or record producer owns the copyright, sometimes the artist himself, and often multiple parties are involved. Skaters sometimes also combine different music styles. Bring in third party companies like ClicknClear who will try to smooth out the consent process and the whole thing copyright issue becomes murky and nuanced.
According to McKinnon, “The deal I have with my label is that I can only give permission to license my music.”
Glenn was not immediately available for comment on the music issue early Monday. Messages left by The Associated Press at US Figure Skating about the copyright claims were not immediately returned.
This issue is not the first controversy surrounding Glenn at the Cortina Games in Milan.
The outspoken LGBTQ+ rights activist said she received threats on social media after saying during a pre-Olympic press conference that the queer community is going through a “difficult time” amid the political climate under President Donald Trump.
“I was disappointed because I had never had so many people wish me harm just for being myself and talking about being decent – human rights and decency,” Glenn said Sunday night, wearing an LGBTQ+ pin on her team jacket at the team medal ceremony.
“So that was really disappointing,” Glenn said, “and I think it kind of diminished the excitement about this.”
Copyright was never an issue in figure skating, as the International Skating Union banned all music with singing, and most classical music is considered public domain. But when those rules were relaxed in 2014 and modern music was used, artists quickly demanded to be compensated for their work.
It all came to a head during the 2022 Beijing Olympics, when one of the indie artists covering “House of the Rising Sun” objected to its use by American pairs skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier. The subsequent lawsuit prompted the ISU to intervene and attempt to develop systems that would help skaters avoid copyright infringement claims.
“It’s never been a problem and then suddenly it is, and I don’t understand why,” Glenn told the AP in a wide-ranging interview before the Winter Games. “I understand that there was a lot of unrest at the last Olympics because an artist – I’m sorry, they decided to be (assholes). Like, they didn’t appreciate that this Olympic team was participating? It wasn’t even their song to begin with; it was a cover.”
“It’s not like we’re a TV show and we’re playing music in the background for an emotional scene. It just feels like a cash grab for different companies, and it’s really disturbing that they can’t just appreciate that their music has inspired something creative.”
Justin Dillon, the director of high performance for US Figure Skating, said the governing body has tried to help its skaters avoid any potential copyright claims. It is unclear whether the organization played a role in getting Glenn’s music approved.
Countless fans and even fellow skaters quickly rushed to the American’s defense.
“I would be so honored if anyone would skate to my music and give the music great exposure,” said retired Canadian pairs skater Meagan Duhamel, a two-time Olympian and three-time medalist. “I used a piece of music for the 2018 Olympics and the artist was so excited that she flew to the Olympics to listen to it and watch it live.”
After Nathan Chen won gold at the Beijing Games with a free skate set to ‘Rocket Man’, Elton John praised the American effusively for his performance. Chen later collaborated with the musical legend for a music video for a version of “Hold Me Closer.”
“We really rely on our music,” said ALysa Liu, part of the gold medal-winning U.S. team. “Without music we are not really our sport.”
