The [url=http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BRADBURY_FAHRENHEIT_911?SITE=APWEB&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT]AP reported yesterday[/url] that the author of the brilliantly written “[url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345342968/qid=1087840147/sr=8-8/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i8_xgl14/103-1924542-6295049?v=glance&s=books&n=507846]Fahrenheit 451[/url],” [url=http://www.raybradbury.com/]Ray Bradbury[/url], is demanding both an apology from Michael Moore and a name change to his most recent short film “Fahrenheit 9/11.” Bradbury asserts that Mr. Moore did not ask permission to borrow from his title and expects him to “give me back my book and my title.”

Bradbury reportedly called Mr. Moore’s company six months ago to discuss this issue and was promised a return call, but only recently received one. Mr. Bradbury told the AP that Moore described himself as “embarrassed” over the amount of time that he had let go by before returning the call.

Joanne Doroshow, the spokesperson for Moore’s movie, was reported as saying that “Mr. Bradbury’s work has been an inspiration to all of us involved in this film, but when you watch this film you will see the fact that the title reflects the facts that the movie explores, the very real life events before, around and after 9-11.” Mr. Moore’s company has yet to indicate whether or not they intend to honor Mr. Bradbury’s request.

Thats the news portion of this post, now for a few comments on this issue.

First things first. Ms. Doroshow comments that the title of their movie reflects the facts. Fair enough. But there are likely several hundred titles that one could come up with which would do the same.

Why choose this title? At this point, the only real similarity between the Bradbury book and Mr. Moore’s film is the fact that they are both works of fiction.

Furthermore, even the subtitle of the movie “borrows” from Bradbury’s book in that the book states that “Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which paper burns,” while Moore’s subtitle is that “Fahrenheit 9/11 is the temperature at which freedom burns.”

Did Moore borrow from Bradbury’s book title because he thought it appropriate or is he attempting to borrow some of the name recognition that goes with the title? Make no mistake, this book/film title has tremendous name recognition worldwide.

I’ve been a scifi fan for at least the past quarter century and I know many of the names who are considered to be among the finest of the genre. Names like Asimov, Benford, Brin, Dick, Donaldson, Harrison, McCaffrey, Niven, Pournelle, Wells, etc.

Bradbury is a giant among those giants when it comes to his work and, needless to say, I’ve read almost everything he’s ever written. Mr. Bradbury’s work has, without a doubt, inspired and influenced generations of young authors, as well as the creation of innumerable movies and television shows.

Have other “borrowed” from Mr. Bradbury’s work in the past, hoping to tap into some of his fame and name recognition? Very likely so, though, I’ve yet to hear Bradbury so upset as he is over this issue.

Really, though, what can you expect from Michael Moore? Michael is not interested in an issue or a cause, he is interested in the bottom line question, what will this film produce for him in the way of fame and fortune? In this sense, then, Moore is no different from any of the so-called “greedy” corporations so reviled by liberals (including Moore).

I’ll even go so far as to say that if Bush is not re-elected this November, Michael Moore, in my opinion, will be devastated. Why? Because President Bush has been the best thing that has ever happened to Mr. Moore; a cash cow no less.

Just as any good American entrepreneur might, Michael Moore has tapped into the angst of the angry left and turned it into good ol’ dollars and cents. In that sense then (no pun intended), good for Michael Moore. In every other way, however, the man is, at best, no better than a greedy executive seeking to maximize his opportunities.

Lets recognize Michael Moore for what he is, an entrepreneur and a businessman, not an idealist. If Mr. Bradbury wants his title and book returned to him, he’ll have to treat him as such. This means, of course, he’ll have to use legal means to force Moore to desist in what he perceives to be the theft of his book title. And this is a very real and legitimate concern, not one manufactured by Mr. Bradbury for partisan reasons.

The fact is, as one who watches the SciFi Channel and visits their website on a frequent basis, I learned recently that a production company is planning to produce a new “Fahrenheit 451″ movie. If Moore continues to politicize this title with his “Fahrenheit 9/11″ movie, he threatens the future profitability of both Mr. Bradbury’s book and any future movie based on the book.

Can Mr. Bradbury afford to wait while Michael Moore continues to blatantly borrow from his title? Probably not. Noone should allow such a blatant copyright violation to go unanswered. To do so would be to invite other such violations.

Will Bradbury act to protect his copyright? Well, lets just call this a developing story.

David Flanagan