Oregon Grocery Store Clerk Claims To Have Written Green Day's American Idiot

A 32-year-old grocery store checker from Medford, Ore. has filed a copyright infringement complaint against Green Day, claiming that he composed the lyrics and melodies to their American Idiot album in early 1992.

Paul McPike filed his two-page complaint in U.S. District Court last week, but a judge recommended dismissing it on Monday. However, the judge said that McPike could file an amended complaint detailing his copyright of the lyrics and music.

McPike is representing himself in the matter and the only evidence he has submitted thus far is a copy of American Idiot and a claim that the words that Green Day vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong sings on the album don't exactly match those printed in the liner notes. The former ski resort employee plans to continue researching copyright law and to resubmit his complaint with additional unspecified evidence.

McPike says he's written songs since high school and, while he's never performed publicly, he's occasionally sung some of his compositions for friends. He believes that a buddy must have recorded him singing at home, and that a cassette of his work somehow got into Green Day's hands.

"It was just disbelief every time I heard it on the radio," McPike told Medford's Mail Tribune newspaper.

McPike claims to have written several letters to both the band and their label, Warner Bros. Records, but never received a reply to his allegations. So he felt that he was left with no alternative but to go to court. He's seeking an unspecified share of the profits from the 2004 album and the 2005 Bullet In A Bible concert CD/DVD that includes songs from American Idiot.

While ChartAttack's legal team was unavailable for comment, it seems quite clear that McPike is confused. While he thinks that he wrote American Idiot, he actually is an American idiot.