You'd think the Romney campaign would've learned their lesson the last time they had a copyright issue. Or from any of the other prominent copyright snafus involving major political campaigns. But no, they didn't, and now they're beefing with 'alternative' rock group Silversun Pickups.

The Silversun Pickups issued a cease-and-desist letter to the Republican nominee's campaign, claiming the campaign illegally used the LA band's 2009 hit "Panic Switch" before a campaign rally in North Carolina.

"We don't like people going behind our backs, using our music without asking, and we don't like the Romney campaign," Silversun Pickups lead singer Brian Aubert said in the statement. "We're nice, approachable people. We won't bite. Unless you're Mitt Romney! We were very close to just letting this go because the irony was too good. While he is inadvertently playing a song that describes his whole campaign, we doubt that 'Panic Switch' really sends the message he intends."

Fair enough. The Romney campaign just shrugged though, and in the process might have accidentally shown halfway decent musical taste.

"As anyone who attends Gov. Romney's events knows, this is not a song we would have played intentionally," she wrote. "That said, it was covered under the campaign's regular blanket license, but we will not play it again."

For what it's worth, the song is apparently crictical of Republicans, or so says the AP:

"Panic Switch," which seems to be an indictment of "red views" that "keep ripping the divide," helped the quartet earn a Grammy nomination for best new artist in 2009...

Either way, it's not quite Reagan attempting to co-opt "Born in the USA."

[Image via AP]