Court sides with Waits in copyright fight

BARCELONA, Spain, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- A Barcelona, Spain, appeals court has sided with singer Tom Waits in his suit against Volkswagen-Audi for impersonating his signature sound.

Waits had charged the automaker breached his copyright by using an impersonator to sing "Innocent When You Dream" for a Spanish TV commercial, the BBC reported.

A spokesman for the singer said the decision was Spain's first protecting of personality and reputation in a copyright case.

Waits said he told a Spanish ad agency he does not ever license his music for commercials -- so he was surprised to learn they took his song anyway and got someone to replicate his gravelly singing style.

Waits' spokesman said it was the first time a Spanish court had upheld an artist's moral rights -- which protect someone's personality and reputation -- in a copyright case.

Waits has similar suits pending against General Motors Opel and an advertising agency in Germany.