Zappa Family Wins Apology From Quebec Furniture Company

After nearly a decade of fighting, Frank Zappa's widow has won a legal battle with a Quebec furniture company.

Yesterday (January 12), Gail Zappa appeared in a Quebec City court to follow-up on a claim that she filed in 1998. It seems the Ameublements Tanquay company used bits of Zappa's "Watermelon In Easter Hay" (which appeared on his Joe's Garage Act II & III album ) in two different television commercials in 1995.

Mrs. Zappa's suit claimed that the use of the song not only violated copyright infringement, but also argued that the song was "distorted, mutilated or otherwise modified."

Since yesterday's court appearance, the company and it's owner, Jacques Tanguay, have settled out of court with Mrs. Zappa — both parties have not disclosed how much cash, if any, was involved in the settlement. The company also publicly apologized to Mrs. Zappa and the four Zappa children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet and Diva.

The company admitted to using the song, although they claimed that they didn't realize the use constituted copyright infringement. Moreover, they apologized for causing any emotional stress to the Zappa family.

According to an article in The Globe And Mail, Mrs. Zappa is overjoyed by the decision, but remarked that there were many other copyright battles that she needed to fight on behalf of her late husband.

Frank Zappa died in 1993 after a battle with prostate cancer.