Guitarist Joe Satriani files plagiarism lawsuit against Coldplay

[one...two...tree 2,762]

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – An American rock guitarist has filed a lawsuit against Coldplay, accusing the popular British band of plagiarising one of his songs on their latest hit album, according to court documents published on Thursday.

Joe Satriani, known for his instrumental compositions, alleges Coldplay's song "Viva la Vida" had "copied and incorporated substantial original portions" from his own track "If I Could Fly" recorded on an album released in 2004.

Satriani's lawsuit demands damages and "any and all profits" related to the alleged copyright infringement.

A representative for the band was not immediately available for comment.

Coldplay's latest album "Viva la vida," released in June, has topped the charts in Europe and the United States. The recording helped Coldplay win seven nominations for the 2009 Grammy awards.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081205/ts_al...pyrightcoldplay

Here's Satriani's 'If I Could Fly':

[jundp 191]

Interesting.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Interesting.

The familiarity is unmistakable.

[Mags 112]

I have just listened to it...and can say it does sound similar (in a muzak kind of way). However, I can't really see Coldplay needing to plagiarize someone else's music.

It's probably coincidence, tbh.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I have just listened to it...and can say it does sound similar (in a muzak kind of way). However, I can't really see Coldplay needing to plagiarize someone else's music.

It's probably coincidence, tbh.

Could be. It'd be interested in knowing how they determine when it is in fact plagiarism. I remember back when Ghostbusters came out, Huey Lewis and the News sued and won against Ray Parker Jr. for plagiarizing, 'I Want a New Drug.'

[one...two...tree 2,762]

You gotta listen to this...both of them played together.

[Mags 112]

I think it can often be a case of is it different enough from the "original".

Ack, I dunno!

[Staashi 371]

I think it is very different...there are some similarities for about 15 seconds, but not enough where I would say - damn, they ripped off his work. It's not like Vanilla Ice trying to say that "Ice, Ice Baby" wasn't using Queen's "Under Pressure"...ummm yeah, you were. All anyone has to do really is look at the sheet music and see how the notes are written.

[Teacher Mark 53]

I guess it's en vogue to sue Cold Play now!

Coldplay accused of stealing song for No.1 album from unknown U.S. band

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 1:25 PM on 19th June 2008

Coldplay could face a multimillion-pound copyright lawsuit after being accused of plagiarism on their new album.

The British band has denied stealing the melody to the title track of their Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends album from obscure US group Creaky Boards.

Their singer has alleged Coldplay frontman Chris Martin took the music from his ironically named track The Songs I Didn't Write after hearing them in concert.

In a video posted on the video-sharing website YouTube, Andrew Hoepfner accused Mr Martin of artistic theft.

'We were flattered when we thought we saw Chris Martin in the crowd,' said Mr Hoepfner of his New York gig.

'He seemed pretty into it... Maybe TOO into it?'

The clip was first posted on Sunday as Viva La Vida went straight to No.1 after selling 300,000 copies in three days.

It has now been watched by nearly 300,000 people, many thousands of whom had typed comments remarking upon the various similarities between the two tracks.

In an industry where even small chord sequences can become the subject of costly copyright disputes, allegations of plagiarism can leave both the finances and reputation of musicians badly damaged.

Coldplay yesterday responded with a vigorous denial.

'We totally refute their claims, and there are two facts that make it easy to disprove them,' said the band's spokesman Murray Chalmers.

'First, on the night in October when the band say Chris Martin was watching them, he was actually working at the Air Studio in London, and we can prove that.

'Second, even if he had been at the gig, Viva la Vida was written and demoed seven months before the night in question, so it couldn't possibly have been copied.'

Sources close to the band said they were unlikely to pursue legal action against Creaky Boards since it would 'look bad' to start a David versus Goliath lawsuit against a group of young musicians.

However, despite Mr Hoepfner's claim of theft, the video clip has succeeded in gaining a new following for his band, and was driving traffic to their MySpace page.

The YouTube video concludes: 'I wish Coldplay the best of luck. If they ever want to collaborate, I've got some microphones we could use in my bedroom.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/artic...n-U-S-band.html

The evidence:

Edited December 6, 2008 by Joe Six-Pack

[Teacher Mark 53]

Andrew Hoepfner (the dude from Creaky Boards) is going to get sued by the John Holmes estate for stealing his Porn Star look!

John Holmes

Andrew Hoepfner

Edited December 6, 2008 by Joe Six-Pack

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The YouTube video concludes: 'I wish Coldplay the best of luck. If they ever want to collaborate, I've got some microphones we could use in my bedroom.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/artic...n-U-S-band.html

The evidence:

[Amby 490]

nice one

[Peikko 1,575]

Maybe Satriani needed some face time in the media...

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Maybe Satriani needed some face time in the media...

I doubt it.

[Mags 112]

Maybe Satriani needed some face time in the media...

I did wonder about that myself...