Did a candidate for Cincinnati City Council violate copyright law?

CINCINNATI — Did a candidate for Cincinnati City Council rip off a famous jingle as his campaign slogan?

Kevin Farmer is running for office this November and has a campaign sign that closely resembles the lyrics of the Farmers Insurance commercial. However, Farmer claims he came up with his campaign slogan by himself.

His campaign sign says, "Vote For Farmer. Bum ba-dum bum bum bum bum." The Farmers Insurance jingle says, " We are Farmers! Bum ba-dum bum bum bum bum."

Watch our interview with the candidate as he explains where his campaign slogan really came from:

WCPO 9 News found out that the Farmers Insurance jingle is protected by both copyright and trademark.

We spoke with Michelle Browning-Coughlin, a Northern Kentucky University professor who specializes in intellectual property. We showed her Farmer's campaign signs, and played her the voicemail message on Farmer's cell phone, which resembles the famous jingle.

"I know he's trying to make an association between himself and these jingles, and I think that most consumers know you're not supposed to do that," Browning-Coughlin said.

She explained why using that jingle on campaign literature is also problematic, besides potentially violating intellectual property laws.

"What Farmers would be concerned about is that this use is an implicit endorsement by Farmers group or Farmers Insurance Company of his candidacy," Browning-Coughlin said.

We contacted the candidate Farmer about whether the use of this jingle was intentional.

"Was that intentional? I just said vote Farmer," he said.

Farmer claimed he's never heard of Farmers Insurance, nor has he heard the jingle, and that he came up with his own campaign slogan himself, adding that the words are said in "the black club."

"I thought it was catchy because my girlfriend, one of my girlfriends, told me like you need to do it in a hood 'Back That (expletive) Up' bum bah bum bum bah," Farmer said.

We asked him if he's ever seen the Farmers Insurance commercial or heard the jingle.

"No, I don't watch much TV," he said.

When we compared the jingle's lyrics to his campaign lyrics, we asked Farmer if he could see the similarities.

"I'm a Farmer, that sounds plural, mine is singular," he said. "We're living in times that things are being similar, people are using the same, pretty much ideas, to answer your question adequately, I didn't take nothing from, I guess an insurance company, never heard of them, by the way, I never heard of them."

We asked him if he was worried about getting sued for copyright violations.

"I will or whatever I'm willing to deal with the consequences as a grown man living in America, and I will hold myself accountable if I did wrong and will also apologize," Farmer said.

Copyright violations can result in fines and penalties between $750-$150,000.

WCPO 9 News reached out to Farmers Insurance, and we're still waiting to hear back.