Stanford Law School’s Fair Use Project has signed on to defend Premise Media in a law suit filed in federal court by Yoko Ono, who alleges that the company’s unauthorized use of John Lennon’s song “Imagine” in its documentary “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” violates copyright law.

The film, written by comedian Ben Stein, explores alternative theories of evolution. It uses the song for 15 seconds while considering the idea that the world would be better off without religion.

Premise Media claims that their use of the song is allowable under the fair use doctrine, which permits the use of copyrighted material for comment, criticism and discussion purposes.

“The right to quote from copyrighted works in order to criticize them and discuss the views they may represent lies at the heart of the fair use doctrine,” said Anthony Falzone, executive director of the Fair Use Project, in a press release. “These rights are under attack here, and we plan to defend them.”

Falzone, along with Law School colleagues Julie Ahrens and Brandy Karl, will join Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP in defending Premise Media.