Flat tunes

London, Jan. 3 (AP): They describe themselves as musicians who make “happy, bouncy” tunes, but a copyright dispute with a multinational company has flattened the London band’s upbeat mood.

The band — called 7 Seconds of Love — have taken on soft-drink giant Coca-Cola over what they say was unauthorised use of their song Ninja, and the video that goes with it.

A commercial, made in Argentina for South American audiences, appears to use the song to advertise Coca-Cola Light. The unsigned band learned of the advertisement when a fan asked about it.

“Initially, we didn’t think much about it,” Veitch said. “It was when it turned up on the Internet that we went: ‘Oh my God.’ To sound like us is OK. To look like us is OK. But it’s the two together where it becomes a problem,” he said.

Comic kick

London (Reuters): Family comedy Night at the Museum kicked the Happy Feet dancing penguins off the top of the UK box office in its debut weekend, Screen International said on Wednesday. The film, starring Ben Stiller as a security guard in a museum where the exhibits come to life at night, took nearly £4 million over the New Year weekend. It boasts an A-list comic cast, including Ricky Gervais, Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke and Robin Williams. Happy Feet grossed £1.8 million at British cinemas over the weekend.

Star turn

Las Vegas (AP): Dancing With the Stars runner-up Mario Lopez will host this year’s Miss America pageant in Las Vegas, event organisers said on Wednesday. “I’m honoured. I think it’s going to be great,” the 33-year-old actor said from Los Angeles in advance of the announcement by Country Music Television network officials. The pageant will air live on January 29.