Isn't This All Rather Petty . . . .

[Canary42]

. . . . but still the lawyers will make a lot of money out of it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59606655

[bobbinwales]

Yes but only because someone's paying to claim against her. Can't see them winning so they'll end up paying costs?

[bobbinwales]

Seems like theres some 'bad blood'. Watch this 'blank space'

[andy-hughes]

Ever heard the expression 'Where there's a hit, there's a writ'?

Composer copyright brings the lion's share of royalty payments from sales and airplay, so millions of dollars are in play.

[andy-hughes]

Remember when George Harrison was sued successfully by lawyers claiming that Harrison's My Sweet Lord was lifted from Sweet Talkin' Guy, a sixties hit from the Chiffons?

The judge found against Harrison, not plagiarising deliberately is no defence in law.

Cue the shift of multi-million dollar royalty payments from one account to the other, and the Sweet Talkin' Guy writers became very very rich overnight, with all subsequent payments for both songs' airplay going to them.

[mushroom25]

wasn’t the chiffons song in the Harrison case “he’s so fine” (doo lang doo lang doo lang)?

[royfromaus]

Doh!

[royfromaus]

It is petty and Harrison was robbed.

[Peter Pedant]

yes AH is right ( so no one will read it)
the plaintiff will go after the profits from the sales ( 'restitution') which can be mega

what did Geo Harrision for ripping off the Pink Lady and Chiffonettes ( My sweet Lord) ?

[royfromaus]

Is he right?

[goodgoalie]

There have always been accusations of plagiarism in popular music. Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams recently had to pay the estate of Marvin Gaye $5 million for plagiarising his song 'Got To Give It Up' for their hit 'Blurred Lines'.

Songwriting royalties are often the cause of band break-ups, especially when one of the band is the main songwriter and the other members of the band realise just how much more the main writer is making.

[naomi24]

AH is wrong. It was ‘He’s so fine’.

[royfromaus]

What about

and the Sweet Talkin' Guy writers became very very rich overnight, with all subsequent payments for both songs' airplay going to them.


Is that right?

[naomi24]

Can’t be.

[goodgoalie]

Ed Sheeran has three accusations of plagiarism going through the courts. You can find comparisons of his and the other songs online.

[Peter Pedant]

//It is petty and Harrison was robbed.//

it was a direct rip off and mega bucks was involved
Parties wouldnt let go, andthe litigation lasted years

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Sweet_Lord#Copyright_infringement_suit

American case, and I thought a jury was involved. Interesting article, complicated by the plaintiff was an estate of a dead musician, and the Beatles were splitting

[royfromaus]

//Harrison's counsel contended that he had drawn inspiration from "Oh Happy Day" and that Mack's composition was also derived from that hymn. //


Should have been thrown out on that alone.

[Peter Pedant]

roy ( the one from oz) is asking repeatedly and coyly
is he right?

yeah I think so - I thought the copyright was held by Mack and leased to the Pink Ladies who re-released it 1975(*)

Sum involved $1.5m ( seventies) Cd be $15m now
is that right - fink so - andie has been truthing

(*) along with guitar riffs popularised by Harrison
This added insult to injury to Harrison, he said - Hold it! G Harrison was the plagiarist....
Professional musician said to me: oh, note for note - identical

[Peter Pedant]

// Should have been thrown out on that alone.//
this was pleaded - is that right?
and the judge was unimpressed

as we know from the Randy One's case, lawyers say things but that doesnt make it gospel truth you know

[THECORBYLOON]

This link gives more details about the Harrison case, https://web.archive.org/web/20020208074051/http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/mysweet.htm

[Peter Pedant]

// AH is wrong. It was ‘He’s so fine’.//
is a bit of a fine distinction

O mean come off it - this is AB !

Harrisons litigation went on for 20 y - someone even called it a zombie-case