How did Windows 95 get permission to put the Weezer video Buddy Holly on the CD?

Source: Hacker News

Some time ago, I noted that the Windows 95 CD contained a variety of multimedia extras, partly because they were fun, and partly to show off Windows 95’s multimedia capabilities.

One of those multimedia extras was the music video for the song Buddy Holly by the band Weezer. Acquiring permission to redistribute the video took multiple steps.

First, Microsoft had to secure the rights to the song itself, which was negotiated directly with Weezer’s publisher Geffen Records, apparently without the knowledge of the band members themselves (source). The band was reportedly upset that they weren’t consulted but later realized that it was “one of the greatest things that could have happened to us. Can you imagine that happening today? It’s like, there’s one video on YouTube, and it’s your video.”

But that only secured the rights to the music. What about the video?

The video takes place in a reconstruction of a location from the Happy Days television program, and clips from that show were spliced into the music video to create the illusion that many of the characters from the show were part of the video. The lawyer responsible for securing the rights to the video had to contact all of the actors from Happy Days to get their permission. He reportedly enjoyed the assignment, though it’s unclear whether he spoke to the actors directly or only to their agents. One can imagine the challenge of tracking down Henry Winkler’s (The Fonz) telephone number—or his agent’s—to obtain clearance.