Oops, Janice Hahn may have a copyright issue

City Councilwoman Janice Hahn's video mocking of Gavin Newsom (posted earlier today) uses a running soundtrack of Sam Cooke's classic "Wonderful World" — as in "don't know much about history..." Lawyer Ben Sheffner, at the blog Copyrights & Campaigns, titles his post about it Don't know much about copyright? That's because, he writes, the publisher of the song says its use by Hahn was "unauthorized." Sheffner doubts it would fall under fair use — and notes he has tried but failed to get a comment from Hahn's people.

I don't expect this video to stay up on YouTube long. And Hahn's campaign could well be facing a pretty strong copyright suit. A license for the song, which has been featured prominently in movies including Animal House and Witness, can't come cheap.

Irony: this is the Hahn campaign for lieutenant governor with the strangely deep roster of consultants.