The next time you think “THIS song sounds way too much like THAT song,” remember that you read this article
There are exactly 12 notes on the Western musical scale. There’s a finite number of ways they can be put together in an order that sounds pleasing. There are so many of those combinations that fall within the aesthetics of rock and pop.
Now consider that 22 million songs are written every year around the world. And remember that the modern music era goes back to about 1950. Think there’s gonna be some unintentional and unmalicious duplication? OF COURSE THERE IS! No wonder there’s a class of lawyers will to pursue all kings of copyright infringement and plagiarism claims.
The next time you start screaming “THIS SONG IS A RIP-OFF!” please remember that you read this article from a couple of intellectual property experts in the UK. (Via Music Ally)
While the music industry rightly celebrates artists for innovation, the DNA of popular music has always been based on certain recognised tropes and formulas. But if there ever was a time when imitation would have been seen as a form of flattery, this no longer rings true in the industry today. Copyright disputes, in some cases involving decades-old material, can be complicated by multiple different owners and rights holders – whether co-authors, estates, record companies or publishers. They can result in multi-million pound settlements or, just as bad, protracted legal battles during which publishing revenues may be frozen.
Under English law, claims require an element of actual copying (consciously or not): so a case will often hinge on the likelihood of access by an alleged infringer to the earlier work. However, with so many online streaming and video platforms hosting so many compositions by lesser-known artists, the lines are increasingly blurred when it comes to proof of copying.
