25 May 2010 Last updated at 10:32 ET

Talking Heads star David Byrne sues over song

David Byrne is the only member of the band taking legal action

Musician David Byrne is suing the Republican governor of Florida for using a Talking Heads song without permission, according to reports.

He has filed the legal action over the 1985 single Road to Nowhere being used as part of Charlie Crist's online campaign for the senate.

The star is seeking $1m (£700,000) in damages.

Speaking to Billboard he said the action "is not about politics, it's about copyright".

Endorsement

After he became aware of the ad, which also ran on YouTube, Mr Crist stopped using it, but Mr Byrne said that "the damage had already been done by it being out there".

He added: "People that I knew had seen [the ad] so it had gotten around.

"It's not about politics, it's about copyright and about the fact that it does imply that I would have licensed it and endorsed him and whatever he stands for."

Mr Byrne's lawyer is Lawrence Iser, who successfully sued John McCain for improper use of a song by Jackson Browne.

"I was fairly astonished that this soon after the settlement of Browne v McCain, yet another politician with national aspirations is doing this again," Mr Iser said.

Road to Nowhere featured on the band's 1985 album Little Creatures. It has also appeared in several films, including Reality Bites and Religulous.