'Joker' uses a controversial song by convicted pedophile Gary Glitter

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(CNN) - The controversy continues to grow for "Joker."

The film, which has already received criticism that glorifies violence and evokes empathy for a murderer, now faces a harsh violence over the use of a song by convicted child sex offender Gary Glitter.

The song, "Rock and Roll Part 2" plays for about two minutes while the star Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the Joker, dances down the stairs.

The song plays during the scene where Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the Joker, dances on the stairs.

And that's not all.

Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, is probably also making money by using the song in the movie.

It is not clear exactly how much Glitter could earn, but lawyer John Seay, who specializes in entertainment law, explained the process in general.

Basically, each song has two copyrights: that of publication (the actual composition of the song, such as its words and melody) and that of real sound recording (also known as the recording master). Because Glitter is co-author of the song, he probably owns a percentage for the song's publication, Seay said.

The master's degree is generally owned by the record company, but Seay said it's possible that the rights have returned to Glitter. Any money that comes out of the use of the song will also have to be filtered through any record deal that has Glitter.

In some countries outside the United States, movie theaters also pay royalties for music used in movies. 'Joker' has already been launched internationally and Glitter could also earn money that way. Although the cinema's single payments are small, Seay said they could add up to a "significant salary." You will also be paid when the movie is broadcast on television.

Regardless of anything, Glitter is making money, Seay said. And the amount could be in the range of six figures.

The ethics of using a pedophile song

However, it is not just about money. Some question the morality of including the song and making a profit for a convicted child sex offender.

Rahul Kohli, a British actor best known for playing Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti in "iZombie" on The CW, said on Twitter that he enjoyed the movie, but also said many could feel some discomfort from the choice of the song.

Glitter was sentenced in 2015 to 16 years in prison after being convicted of child sexual abuse. The former British pop star was convicted on a charge of attempted rape of a girl under 13, a charge of having sex with a girl under 13, and four counts of indecent assault against girls.

In 1999 he admitted to possessing child pornography, which took him to jail for four months. Seven years later, while living in Vietnam, he was convicted of sexual crimes against girls and imprisoned for almost 3 years.

Although some might say that the use of the song could be an intentional choice of filmmakers, Warner Bros. has not commented publicly. CNN sought more comments and has not yet received a response.

CNN and Warner Bros. are owned by the same parent company, WarnerMedia.

Despite the wave of controversy, "Joker" is making enough money, with an estimated income of $ 93.5 million in North America alone on its first weekend. That makes it the premiere of the highest collection in October.

A very popular song at sporting events

"Rock and Roll Part 2" is best known to the American public as "Hey Song," which usually sounds during sporting events. The NFL asked the teams to stop playing the song in 2006, after the musician was accused of sexual crimes in Vietnam.

In 2012, the NFL banned the song in the Super Bowl, as a version of it was being used as a scoring anthem for the New England Patriots at that time.

The song was also used as the scoring song by several NHL teams, including the Nashville Predators. The Predators rejected the song before the start of the 2014-15 season following new charges against Glitter.

However, fans in the United States still tend to associate the song more with victories in sporting events, while in Britain, Glitter's pedophilia is somewhat better known.

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