HP yanks commercial with Gary Glitter song

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Hewlett-Packard has yanked a U.S. ad campaign because the song it uses "Do You Wanna Touch Me" was penned by British sex offender Gary Glitter.

Although the song is sung by Joan Jett in the commercial, it was written by former glam rocker Glitter, who recently served about two years in a Vietnamese prison for sexually abusing two young girls. He also was previously convicted of possessing child pornography and is on Britain's sex offenders registry.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel said Hewlett-Packard decided to halt its campaign for its TouchSmart computer after receiving complaints about the classic song's author.

Hewlett-Packard officials said in an e-mail they weren't aware of Glitter's association with the song, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

Evin Daly, a Florida man who volunteers his time helping abused, neglected and abandoned children and who runs AbuseWatch.net, said he complained about the link between Glitter and the computer company's new ad because he didn't think it was appropriate and because he doesn't want Glitter to profit from the royalties he would likely be paid for the use of his song in the campaign.

"When all the dots are connected and you see the relationship between Glitter and the words in the song, it makes the listener realize that HP (was) using a song that is completely inappropriate," Daly told the newspaper.