These enduring melodies broke through cultural and language barriers
In 2022, Artikal Sound System, a reggae band from Florida, filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the British pop star. They claimed she ripped off the catchy tune to their song called 'Live Your Life,' released in 2017. Artikal Sound System claims Lipa and her team had knowledge of their track before 2020 when they started writing their song 'Levitating,' and both songs feature a similarly catchy chorus. They brought a major lawsuit against Lipa and Warner Records, but dropped the suit after a year when a judge ruled that their case was extremely flawed.
In 2022, the singer faced another copyright infringement lawsuit involving the same song. This time, the suit was filed by songwriters L. Russell Brown and Sandy Linzer. They allege that the singer copied their "signature melody" from their disco song 'Wiggle and Giggle All Night,' released in 1979, as well as the 1980 Miguel Bosé song 'Don Diablo,' for which they also hold the copyright.
Bad Bunny and other music stars are fighting a copyright lawsuit that alleges infringement on a 1989 reggae song, claiming it forms the basis of the entire reggaeton genre.
Jamaican producers Steely & Clevie filed the lawsuit that accuses more than 100 artists of copyright infringement. Lawyers for Bad Bunny, who was accused of infringement on 77 songs, argue the drum beats and timbre don't fall under copyright protection and say the plaintiffs are attempting to "monopolize practically the entire reggaeton musical genre for themselves" by claiming ownership of compositions sampled by over 100 artists in more than 1,600 songs. The case raises questions about giving credit when the distinction between creating a genre and borrowing a sound becomes unclear.
Ed Sheeran was accused of plagiarizing a four-chord progression from Marvin Gaye's soul classic 'Let's Get it On' (co-written by Ed Townsend, whose heirs filed the lawsuit) in his song 'Thinking Out Loud.' The plaintiffs filed a US$100 million lawsuit against Sheeran in New York City. However, the jury ultimately acquitted him of the charges, stating he had created his song "independently."
When Sheeran took the stand he made it clear just how damaging these bogus copyright claims really are. "If that happens, I'm done, I'm stopping," Sheeran said when asked by his attorney about the toll the trial was taking on him. "I find it really insulting to devote my whole life to being a performer and a songwriter and have someone diminish it." Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time Sheeran has been in court over one of his songs, so it's understandable why he's so frustrated.
Kelis said she found out about the sample on the song "the same everyone else did." Responding to a fan who praised the "collab" Kelis responded, "It’s not a collab it’s theft."
Kelis emphasized that what upset her the most was the disrespect of not being contacted about it. The problem, however, also lies with the original contract The Neptunes allegedly encouraged Kelis to sign when 'Milkshake' was recorded. She claims she was "blatantly lied to and tricked," signing an agreement where she "was told we were going to split the whole thing 33/33/33, which we didn’t do," resulting in her losing rights over the music. "I was too young and too stupid to double-check it," she admitted.
Mariah Carey is facing a lawsuit 25 years after the release of her popular song 'All I Want for Christmas Is You.' The lawsuit was filed by another artist, Andy Stone, who performs as Vince Vance and the Valiants, claiming that Carey's hit song infringes on the copyright of a song he co-wrote and released in 1989.
Stone has sued Carey, co-writer Walter Afanasieff, and Sony Music Entertainment in Louisiana, alleging "copyright infringement and unjust enrichment" and is seeking US$20 million in damages.
Stone asserts that his guitar-driven country ballad 'All I Want for Christmas Is You,' featuring vocals from Lisa Layne, received "extensive airplay" during the 1993 Christmas season.
Although the songs don't have any musical or lyrical resemblances apart from the title, the legal document asserts that the defendants "never sought or obtained permission" to use the song's title. Furthermore, it states that Stone never granted permission, consent, or a license for its use.
Rapper Turk has raised the possibility of taking legal action against French Montana over claims of stolen lyrics. Turk, who was a member of the popular hip hop group The Hot Boys in the 1990s, along with artists such as Lil Wayne, B.G., and Juvenile, asserts that Montana has appropriated lyrics from their 1999 hit track 'I Need a Hot Girl,' which achieved recognition on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Montana's song, 'Handstand,' featuring Doja Cat and Saweetie, released in 2021, supposedly contains lyrics that closely resemble those written and performed by Turk.
However, a source disclosed to TMZ that Montana had indeed purchased the beat and the hook for the song, believing that all necessary rights had been lawfully acquired. Turk's attorney has shown a willingness to possibly resolve the matter outside the courtroom, suggesting the potential for settlement.
A lawsuit has been filed against Justin Bieber for his popular 2021 song '10,000 Hours' by Melomega Music, with the label stating that a significant portion of the Grammy-winning track was taken from a relatively unknown 1980 song called 'The First Time Baby Is A Holiday.' Melomega's representatives say that the theft was "impudently bold,” claiming that "'10,000 Hours’ is not just substantially similar to ‘First Time'; defendants copied, in minute detail, the most important, core portion of plaintiff’s song, which includes the chorus, verse and hook."
Songwriters Jordan Vincent, Christopher Miranda, and Rosco Banlaoi filed a lawsuit against Sam Smith and Normani, among others, alleging that their hit song 'Dancing With a Stranger' copied the core elements of their 2015 track 'Dancing With Strangers.' According to the suit, the hook, chorus, lyrics, and musical composition are claimed to be "all the same." However, Smith won the court case.
Madonna accused rapper Tory Lanez of illegally sampling her music on his album 'Alone at Prom.' She alleged that her song 'Into The Groove' was used without permission in Lanez's track 'Pluto’s Last Comet.' This was brought to Madonna's attention when she commented on one of Lanez's Instagram posts promoting the album. Madonna's comment read "Read your messages [for] illegal usage of my song get into the groove!" implying that Lanez had previously been notified about the infringement but had not responded. It is worth noting that Tory Lanez (real name Daystar Peterson) has recently been sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the feet.
Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino, has faced two plagiarism accusations concerning his song 'This Is America.' First, rapper Jase Harley made an allegation, although the impact was minimal. However, this time rapper Kidd Wes filed a lawsuit against Glover for alleged copyright infringement, asserting that 'This Is America' bore a striking resemblance to his own song released two years earlier. The case was dismissed by a judge in March 2023, as no significant similarities were found between the two songs.
DJ Paul from Three 6 Mafia filed a lawsuit in 2019 against the rapper, alleging that 'Astroworld' copied a section of their song 'Tear Da Club Up' from 1997. DJ Paul initially sought US$20 million in damages but eventually reached a settlement for an undisclosed sum.
Sting reportedly threatened legal action against the rapper for sampling his 1993 song 'Shape of My Heart' in his track 'Lucid Dreams,' despite reportedly receiving 85% of the royalties.
Singer Yasminah filed a lawsuit against the artists seeking a minimum of US$5 million, alleging that they plagiarized her 2009 track 'Hooyo' in their popular song 'Starboy.'
Jasmine Rae, a popular country music artist, filed a lawsuit against Sheeran, alleging that the song he penned for Hill and McGraw closely resembled her own track, 'When I Found You.'
In 1973, legendary rock star Chuck Berry filed a lawsuit against the band, alleging that their single had similarities in both lyrics and melodies to his song 'You Can't Catch Me.'
Rod Stewart's hit song is said to have borrowed a hook from Jorge Ben's 'Taj Mahal,' released in 1976. A settlement was reached, with Stewart agreeing to donate part of the earnings to charity.
Radiohead's iconic anthem led to a legal battle when they were sued by the Hollies for similarities to their 1973 track 'The Air I Breathe.' Eventually, Tom Yorke acknowledged being "inspired" by it, resulting in the band sharing royalties with the Hollies.
The 'Creep' saga didn't stop there. In 2017, people were quick to point out how similar Lana Del Rey's track 'Get Free,' from her album 'Lust for Life,' was to Radiohead's song. While the band opted not to take legal action, they requested to be acknowledged for their influence.
Robin Thicke's popular song faced controversy for various reasons. However, the primary cause arose when Marvin Gaye's family filed a lawsuit against Thicke and Pharrell Williams, alleging copyright infringement. They argued that the song 'Got to Give It Up' by the late musician shared striking similarities.
Jet was accused by many fans of Iggy Pop of plagiarizing his song 'Lust for Life' from 1977. However, the band firmly denied these allegations.
In 2012, the musician Breakbot accused Bruno Mars of creating a song, 'Treasure,' that closely resembled Breakbot's own track, 'Baby I'm Yours.'
Musician Neil Innes alleged that 'Whatever' had been borrowed from his song 'How Sweet to Be an Idiot.' Following a legal battle, Oasis granted him co-writing credits for the song.
Simple Plan are huge fans of Green Day... some may say even a little too much. People were quick to point out their 2007 song was a tad too similar to Green Day's 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams.'
After many years, Zeppelin faced accusations of plagiarizing the introduction of their famous song from fellow rock band Spirit's track 'Taurus.' Jimmy Page has dismissed these claims as "ridiculous."
In 1969, the band recorded 'Whole Lotta Love' and included a sample from Muddy Waters' 'You Need Love,' however, they did not give credit to the songwriter Willie Dixon. As a result, Dixon filed a lawsuit against them.
Coldplay, the Grammy-winning band, faced both praise and a legal predicament with their hit song. They ended up reaching an out-of-court settlement with Joe Satriani, a guitarist, since he noticed that they had incorporated significant parts of his song 'If I Could Fly.'
Lavigne faced a lawsuit from 1970s pop group The Rubinoos, alleging that she had borrowed elements from their song 'I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.'
The Doors, a renowned band, had to compensate The Kinks, also a legendary band, for using the riff from 'All Day and All of the Night' in their timeless hit 'Hello, I Love You.' This payment involved royalties.
According to reports, Kurt Cobain felt apprehensive about choosing the grunge anthem as their album's single due to its resemblance to 'Eighties' by Killing Joke. Fortunately, the latter chose not to take legal action.
Chuck Berry is known for being heavily sampled, and this time The Beach Boys took his song 'Sweet Little Sixteen' and put their own spin on it. To prevent any legal issues, the band's manager gave Berry the copyright to the tune.
In 2016, the trio faced accusations of plagiarizing Joel McDonald's song 'Made in America,' but ultimately triumphed in the legal battle.
Eminem and MC Raymond Jones, a member of Hot Stylz, have reportedly settled their dispute over claims that Slim Shady utilized a 25-second sample from one of Jones' songs in 'Rap God.'
Sheeran previously found himself entangled in a legal dispute with Grime artist Sami Switch (Sami Chokri) back in 2018. Chokri alleged that Sheeran had copied his song 'Oh Why' in Sheeran's 2017 chart-topper 'Shape of You.' Instead of opting for a swift settlement, Sheeran decided to take the matter to court, for a legal battle that spanned several years.
On April 6, 2022, Sheeran posted a video to Instagram confirming the judge ruled that he had "neither deliberately nor subconsciously copied" Chokri's song. Sheeran was pleased but wanted to share his thoughts: "I feel like claims like this are way too common now and have become a culture where a claim is made with the idea that a settlement will be cheaper than taking it to court," he began. "Even if there's no base for the claim, it's really damaging to the songwriting industry," as "there's only so many notes and very few chords used in pop music."
The debate regarding Katy Perry allegedly using elements from Sara Bareilles's song 'Brave' finally ceased when Bareilles intervened, stating they were friends and there was no need to panic.
Rap group Flame filed a lawsuit against Katy Perry, alleging that she plagiarized their Christian rap song 'Joyful Noise.' A jury initially sided with the plaintiff, but the judge ultimately ruled that Perry was free of liability.
Jay-Z has faced allegations of plagiarism before, including one concerning his popular song 'Big Pimpin.' The catchy hook in question is believed to have been borrowed from the track 'Khosara Khosara' by Baligh Hamdi, an Egyptian composer.
In 2014, videos began circulating online pointing out that Trainor's popular song may have been borrowed from 'Happy Mode,' a track by South Korean pop band Koyote. The songwriter songwriter Joo Young Hoon tweeted that he was going to contact his lawyer to seek legal advice on the issue.
Guetta's 2012 track 'Play Hard' reportedly sampled "extensively" from Dutch group Alice DeeJay's song 'Better Off Alone.'
Jamaican musician Flourgon filed a lawsuit against Miley Cyrus in March 2018, alleging that her song 'We Can't Stop' bore a significant resemblance to his 1998 track 'We Run Things.'
Tracy Chapman filed a lawsuit against Nicki Minaj for sampling her song 'Baby Can I Hold You' in Minaj's track 'Sorry.' Chapman alleges that Minaj had repeatedly sought permission to use the sample after the song was recorded, but Chapman declined the request. Nevertheless, Minaj provided the sample to a DJ at a radio station in New York, who played it on his show.
In 2014, Hungarian folk singer Mitsou filed a lawsuit against the couple, alleging that they had copied the vocals from her song 'Bajba, Bajba Pelem.' The dispute was taken to court and Mitsou was unsuccessful in her case.
Sources: (People) (CNN) (Daily Mail) (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Guardian) (TMZ) (Pride)
Kelis expressed her dissatisfaction with Beyoncé's use of her hit song 'Milkshake' on Beyoncé's album 'Renaissance,' going as far as accusing it of being "theft." Beyoncé, on the other hand, did not tolerate these allegations. When Kelis publicly called out Beyoncé and The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, the writers of 'Milkshake') for using the song in Beyoncé's track 'Energy' without seeking permission or giving credit, Beyoncé promptly removed it from the album.
During the summer of 2021, Courtney Love accused Olivia Rodrigo of replicating her 'Hole' album cover. Love made her thoughts known on Facebook, stating, "I've informed her I await her flowers [and] note . I sure hope it's long . Does Disney teach kids reading and writing ? God knows . Let's see . Yes this is rude . Rage inducing ? Honey if I had a dollar for [every time] this happens ? I'd be real rich !"
Music plagiarism is tricky. Some songs accidentally mimic others, but other hit tracks use samples from older records without giving credit, leading to legal issues. Is imitation really the sincerest form of flattery? Not according to some!
You might be surprised to learn that there have been quite a few instances of copyright contention associated with chart-topping songs. Intrigued? Click on to find out which artists have faced allegations of plagiarism.
Music stars accused of plagiarism
Copyright lawsuits plague successful artists
MUSIC Copyright
Music plagiarism is tricky. Some songs accidentally mimic others, but other hit tracks use samples from older records without giving credit, leading to legal issues. Is imitation really the sincerest form of flattery? Not according to some!
You might be surprised to learn that there have been quite a few instances of copyright contention associated with chart-topping songs. Intrigued? Click on to find out which artists have faced allegations of plagiarism.