“Kling Corporation, the rights-holder of the theme song to TV’s first hit — the 1940s variety show titled Texaco Star Theatre featuring Milton Berle — has just filed a lawsuit against CBS over an episode of Family Ties that first aired on March 28, 1985.
The episode showed character Steven Keaton taking a nostalgic trip to his childhood and included the song, “We are the Men of Texaco,” the theme to that Milton Berle show. The producers secured a license for the song when it first aired on television, but the agreement allegedly didn’t provide any rights for the show once it came out on video and DVDs. Twenty five years later, Kling Corp now says its copyrighted song has been infringed.” THR, Esq. has the full story.
