Australian politician Clive Palmer will face court next week after a failed bid to delay the lawsuit brought against him by US outfit Twisted Sister.
As news.com.au reports, the Federal Court was told that Palmer did not want to give evidence via video after realising how much of the case would be attacking his credibility, and instead wanted to wait until after state borders opened and he was able to travel from Queensland to NSW to be there in-person.
The court denied the submission with Justice Katzmann noting that, “having somebody closely in front of me as witnesses are on the screen makes it in many respects easier to assess their demeanour, to the extent that demeanour counts for anything these days.”
Last year, Twisted Sister demanded Palmer stop using a re-written version of their hit We're Not Gonna Take It in a TV campaign for the United Australia Party, to which Palmer responded by threatening his own lawsuit against the rockers.
Frontman Dee Snider doubled down on his comments while in Australia in late January, saying during an appearance on Today, "[Palmer] is breaking the law, he's a common criminal in my opinion, and he's stealing my music".
While Palmer claimed he has not lifted the band's song illegally, lawyers representing Universal Music Publishing (license owners of We're Not Gonna Take It) filed papers in Federal Court back in February 2019.
Twisted Sister are seeking damages and aggravated damages over Palmer’s use of We're Not Gonna Take It, as well as his alleged continued refusal to cease using the track.
The trial will commence on October 19.
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