Music composers or producers use different techniques based on the fundamental elements of melody, rhythm, and tone. And their goal is to create a musical piece that expresses his or her thoughts, imagination, and inspirations.
Either their inspiration came from a spontaneous flow of ideas and emotions or from movies and other artists – the most important thing to remember is that it should be “original.”
Lawsuits are not a new thing to the music industry and if you are an artist you might have probably experienced some accusations concerning creative ownership or copyright.
The latest legal battle about music copyright infringement involves pop singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams. The copyright lawsuit is about their hit song “Blurred Lines”, which was claimed to be a ‘plagiarized’ version of Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give it Up.”
Watch the video below to see a comparison of the two songs:
The case started back in 2013 and this year, the court finally settled with this verdict – Thicke and Williams shall pay the Gaye estate an amount of $5.3 million.
Many disagreed with the verdict – as they believe that the two songs only have the same vibe and genre – but the indictment states that “the Gaye defendants are claiming ownership of an entire genre, as opposed to a specific work.”
With all these happenings, we could all apply this famous saying from Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, “good composers borrow, great composers steal.” This means, anyone can get inspiration from the works of influential people but be reminded, you should create an authentic piece and not just a copycat.
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