10 Famous Lawsuits in Music History
“ queen took 50 percent , suge took 60 percent … I fuckin owe money when that shit gets played “ – uncle vanny
Another
Future Spiderman theme song —
10 Famous Lawsuits in Music History
1. George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” Plagiarism Lawsuit (1971): Harrison was sued for copyright infringement by the publishers of the song “He’s So Fine” by The Chiffons, which they claimed “My Sweet Lord” resembled. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, finding that Harrison had subconsciously copied the melody.
2. Metallica vs. Napster (2000): Metallica filed a lawsuit against the file-sharing service Napster for copyright infringement, alleging that Napster facilitated the illegal sharing of their music. The case brought attention to the issue of online piracy and intellectual property rights in the digital age.
3. Blurred Lines Copyright Infringement Lawsuit (2013): Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were sued by the estate of Marvin Gaye, alleging that their song “Blurred Lines” copied elements of Gaye’s song “Got to Give It Up.” The jury found in favor of the Gaye estate, awarding them millions in damages.
4. The “Ice Ice Baby” Sampling Lawsuit (1990): Vanilla Ice was sued by Queen and David Bowie for sampling their song “Under Pressure” in his hit single “Ice Ice Baby” without permission. The lawsuit was settled out of court, with Vanilla Ice agreeing to pay royalties to the original artists.
5. The “Stairway to Heaven” Copyright Infringement Lawsuit (2014): Led Zeppelin was sued by the estate of Randy Wolfe (aka Randy California) of the band Spirit, alleging that the iconic guitar riff in “Stairway to Heaven” was copied from Spirit’s song “Taurus.” The court ruled in favor of Led Zeppelin, but the decision was later overturned and a retrial ordered.
6. The Verve’s “Bitter Sweet Symphony” Lawsuit (1997): The Verve was sued by The Rolling Stones’ former manager Allen Klein for using a sample of an orchestral version of The Rolling Stones’ song “The Last Time” in their hit song “Bitter Sweet Symphony” without permission. The Verve lost the rights to their song and had to relinquish most of the royalties.
7. *Eminem vs. Universal Music Group (2007)*: Eminem filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group, claiming that digital downloads of his music should be classified as licenses rather than sales, entitling him to a higher royalty rate. The case was settled out of court, setting a precedent for how digital music royalties are calculated.
8. The “Monster” Royalties Lawsuit (2015): The heirs of Marvin Gaye sued Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke again, this time alleging that their song “Blurred Lines” had similarities to Gaye’s song “Got to Give It Up.” The court awarded the Gaye estate millions in damages and ongoing royalties.
9. The “Ghostbusters” Theme Song Lawsuit (1984): Huey Lewis sued Ray Parker Jr. for copyright infringement, alleging that Parker’s song “Ghostbusters” plagiarized the melody and arrangement of Lewis’s song “I Want a New Drug.” The case was settled out of court.
10. The “Love Rollercoaster” Lawsuit (1975): The estate of a woman who was murdered in the studio during the recording of the Ohio Players’ song “Love Rollercoaster” sued the band, alleging that her scream could be heard in the final recording. The case was dismissed, but the urban legend surrounding the alleged scream persists.
These lawsuits have had significant impacts on the music industry and have shaped the legal landscape surrounding intellectual property rights, copyright infringement, and artist royalties.