@whart Seeing that you’re a retired copyright lawyer who is really into music, I’m wondering if you have any opinions on these famous cases regarding copyright infringement in popular music.
I consider the “Blurred Lines” case from a few years back to be a horrible precedent.
Marvin’s song has a completely different chord progression, completely different melody, completely different structure, completely different lyrics. Somewhat similar percussion arrangement.
The songs share a cowbell.
Even the cowbell figures are different.
That a plaintiff can get a trial for “the plagiarism of a ‘groove,’ or a ‘feel’” is just as preposterous as it sounds.
The precedent set by the plaintiff actually winning lays fertile ground for injustice and destruction to the relationship between artistic expression and music commerce.
On the other hand I believe Artikel Sound System to have a home run with this same case presently.
Dua Lipa and her cadre of songwriters, for their song “Levitating,” took Artikel Sound System’s song, “Live Your Life.”
That is, the chorus of “Levitating” is the chord progression/vocal melody/rhyming scheme of “Live Your Life,” plus a very similar “groove,” even in the same key.
I was glad Ed Sheeran won his case the other day.
His “Thinking Out Loud” has “Let’s Get it On”’s chord progression, but it is so common a chord progression as to be owned by no one. The fact that the groove is then similar to “Let’s Get it On” doesn’t cut it.
Totally different vocal melody, lyrics, and structure.
Those are my thoughts.
Do you have any on the matter?