Comments

Rob Franks wrote on 2/4/2010, 4:54 AM
Surprising what comes back and bites you in the butt.

Pink Floyd I believe ran into a bit of trouble with their old "The wall" album. It seems that the children who assisted in 'that' song are now all grown up and asking why they're not getting a piece of the pie. All the more reason why stuff like this bothers me:

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=694512&Replies=10
AlanC wrote on 2/4/2010, 4:56 AM
I heard the comparison on the radio this morning. It sounds nothing like.

Justice Peter Jacobson ruled that Down Under bore an unmistakable resemblance to Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree

He needs his ears testing.
Rob Franks wrote on 2/4/2010, 5:06 AM
Although I know nothing of the inner workings of this.... I would suggest that the ruling was the result of something slightly deeper than a quick sample over a radio.
TheHappyFriar wrote on 2/4/2010, 5:54 AM
I could see this as making more sense if the woman who wrote the song sued (I'm sure she was alive when men @ work make the song, and heard it many times).

This also seems like a great way to make $$ in a rough economy: buy the rights to songs "everybody knows" & then sue people who used it years ago.
Laurence wrote on 2/4/2010, 5:59 AM
Those two songs sound nothing alike. Besides, aren't all pop songs just variations of the Pachelbel Canon?

PeterWright wrote on 2/4/2010, 6:07 AM
I think it's a bad decision. One bar of the flute riff can be regarded as a sort of minor key variation of one bar of the Kookaburra song, which is in a major key, and that's it.

The similarity was never noticed until a question on the "Spicks 'n Specks" TV music quiz a few years ago raised the question, and that's when the company that bought the Kookaburra rights after the composer died started to see $$$$$$$$$$$.

They're talking about appealing. I hope they do.
cbrillow wrote on 2/4/2010, 6:12 AM
From the article: "The judge decided, however, that a Qantas advertisement, which used a similar section of the riff, was not in breach of copyright laws."

On the surface, this seems like a pretty significant contradiction...

Bummer for Men At Work. Used to really enjoy their music.