Yoko Ono, the widow of John Lennon, and his two sons are suing filmmakers who they claim used the song ‘Imagine’ in a documentary without permission.

The song, which was recorded in 1971, appears in Expelled: 'No Intelligence Allowed’ – a documentary that looks at the alleged discrimination against people who support an alternative to Darwin's theory of evolution.

The lawsuit, which has been filed against the film’s producers and distributors, seeks unspecified damages and a ban on any further use of the song.

In a statement, the film’s producers, Premise Media Corporation, said they had used the fair use doctrine, which allows copyrighted materials for the purpose of commentary, reports Reuters.

"We are disappointed therefore that Yoko Ono and others have decided to challenge our free speech right to comment on the song 'Imagine' in our documentary film," they said.

(by Jason Gregory)