Many artists have been accused of stealing other people’s work in the music industry over the years. One prominent instance concerned Taylor Swift, who had been the subject of a lawsuit since 2017. Her hit single “Shake It Off” was compared to their 2001 song “Playas Gon’ Play,” which they wrote for the girl group 3LW, according to songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler. However, the specifics of any settlement are still unknown. The lawsuit was reportedly dismissed on December 12 after being requested by the legal teams of both parties.
Five additional well-known copyright cases are as follows:
“Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
The estate of Randy California filed a lawsuit against the remaining members of Led Zeppelin in 2014, claiming that the band’s iconic song “Stairway to Heaven” was a parody of Spirit’s song “Taurus” from the 1960s. Zeppelin denied the charges during the years-long legal battle. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals maintained a jury’s verdict in 2020 that “Stairway to Heaven” was not plagiarised. “There are zillions of songs with the same chord progression,” Robert Plant said in his reflection on the case.
Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”
According to a 2013 lawsuit filed by Marvin Gaye’s estate against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, their song “Blurred Lines” imitated the “feel” of Gaye’s 1977 hit song “Got to Give It Up.” The Gaye estate received a court award of more than $7 million, which was later lowered to $5.3 million. Rapper T.I., who was featured on the song, was not held accountable, but by 2018, a final judgement of almost $5 million had been upheld against Thicke and Williams.
“Ice Ice Baby” with Vanilla Ice
When Vanilla Ice released his 1989 hit song “Ice Ice Baby,” some criticised him for having a bassline that was too similar to David Bowie and Queen’s 1981 song “Under Pressure.” Bowie and Queen’s legal team disagreed with Vanilla Ice’s claim that the two basslines were different. In the out-of-court settlement, Bowie and Queen were given credit for their songwriting.
Song “Alone Again” by Biz Markie
In 1991, Biz Markie, who was well-known for his humorous music, was sued seriously by Gilbert O’Sullivan. “Alone Again” by Biz Markie, according to O’Sullivan, was an unapproved sample of his 1972 song “Alone Again (Naturally).” O’Sullivan prevailed in the case, which had a significant effect on the hip-hop scene and established a rule requiring artists to obtain permission before using samples. The ever-funny Biz Markie called his next album “All Samples Cleared!”
The song “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran
Over the course of his career, Ed Sheeran has been accused of plagiarism numerous times. He settled a case involving his song “Photograph” in 2016, but he has also been the target of claims regarding his popular song “Thinking Out Loud.” But in a 2022 case involving Sheeran’s 2017 song “Shape of You,” a London judge dismissed accusations that it was a copy of Sami Switch’s “Oh Why.”
These cases demonstrate the intricate nature of music copyright law, where minor parallels can result in well-publicized court cases.
Michael Coyle
michael.coyle@lawdit.co.uk
