Even as America begins processing that harrowing news that pop superstar Beyoncé dubbed over her inaugural performance of Star-Spangled Banner, there is a silver lining: The country might inherit a public domain work from the 16-time Grammy Award winner.

The Star Spangled Banner, famously penned by Francis Scott Key in 1814, has long been in the public domain. But the news, broken exclusively by the Times of London, that Beyoncé’s performance was pre-recorded by the Marine Corp Band and then lip-synced during the actual events means her version of the national anthem is property of the American taxpayers, and thus ripe for ripping, remixing and recompiling.

Perhaps famed digital mashup master Girl Talk will, legally, include Beyoncé’s latest hit single on his next compilation.

MuckRock has a FOIA request for Beyoncé’s pre-recorded performance, as well as other Inauguration Day backup tracks, pending with the U.S. Marine Corps.

Image by Farragutful via Wikimedia Commons and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0