Random thought...

Has there been any precedent set yet as to how royalties are divided up for a mash-up? Say the Grey Album version of "Encore" was used in a scene of The O.C. Think about it, it's not that far out of the realm of possibility: it's a well-known enough track; anybody with more than just a pasing interest in popular music has heard it, most others have heard of it, and anyone with access to a computer and a file-sharing network can find it. The show's music supervisor clearly has a jones for covers, and this would be a pretty hip move in that department.

Obviously Jay-Z and the Beatles are both owed performers' and composers' royalties, but there isn't enough to give everyone a full share under the traditional arrangement. It seems like there would have to be a long, drawn out court case to decide how to divide it up, and I haven't heard of one happening yet. But most importantly: would Danger Mouse get a slice of the pie? Seems to me like this would be a major step in legitimsing the mash-up as an art form.