In the tumultuous world of music, plagiarism accusations, and copyright infringement lawsuits have become a riveting symphony of legal drama. The stage is often set for major artists who find themselves entangled in fierce battles over their chart-topping masterpieces, while others opt for a secretive dance behind the curtains, settling these musical disputes far from the public’s prying eyes.
Here are some big-time musicians that were sued for ripping off other people’s work.
Image Credit: The Beatles by Eric Koch (CC BY-SA).
Ed Sheeran vs. Marvin Gaye’s Estate
Ed Sheeran faced a $100 million lawsuit in 2017 when the estate of Marvin Gaye alleged that his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud” ripped off parts of Gaye’s 1973 soul classic “Let’s Get It On.” The estate, represented by the family of the late co-writer Ed Townsend, claimed that Sheeran copied the rhythm, chord progression, and other elements from Gaye’s iconic song.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump represented Townsend’s family, asserting that the case was about “giving credit where credit is due.” The family’s strongest evidence was a video of Sheeran performing a mashup of both songs during one of his shows, which Crump referred to as their “smoking gun.”
After a week-long trial in May 2023, Sheeran was found not liable for copyright infringement. Shortly before the verdict, the British musician had threatened to call it quits if he lost, stating, “If that happens, I’m done, I’m stopping.”
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Led Zeppelin vs. Spirit
In 2014, the legendary rock band was sued by the estate of late guitarist Randy California of the band Spirit. The lawsuit alleged that Led Zeppelin copied the opening notes of “Stairway to Heaven” from Spirit’s song “Taurus” after a performance in Birmingham in 1970. The case went through multiple trials and appeals, with initial clearance in 2016, later overturned, and then reinstated in 2018. The US Supreme Court’s rejection marks the final conclusion of the legal dispute. Page and Plant have remained relatively silent on the rulings, offering only a brief statement in 2016 to thank the jury.
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Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams vs. Marvin Gaye’s Estate
In another case involving Marvin Gaye’s estate, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were sued over their 2013 single “Blurred Lines” for ripping off Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give It Up” in perhaps one of the most famous cases of music copyright infringement in recent memory.
After a five-year legal battle, Marvin Gaye’s family was awarded a final judgment of nearly $5 million. Initially, Thicke and Williams were ordered to pay Gaye’s estate more than $7 million in 2015, but the judgment was later reduced to $5.3 million, leading them to appeal the verdict. However, in the recent judgment from U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt in California, Thicke, Williams, and Williams’ More Water From Nazareth Publishing are jointly required to pay damages of nearly $2.9 million to Gaye’s family.
In addition, Thicke was ordered to pay more than $1.7 million, and Williams and his publishing company must pay $357,631 in separate awards to Gaye’s estate. The ruling also granted Gaye’s family prejudgment interest on the damages and 50% percent of the royalties from “Blurred Lines” moving forward.
Image Credit: Edward Bailey / Wiki Commons.
Sam Smith vs. Tom Petty
“Stay With Me,” the standout track from Sam Smith’s debut album, catapulted the British soul singer to instant fame, earning him a Grammy Award and an unexpected lawsuit. In 2015, Smith found himself embroiled in a copyright dispute with American folk rocker Tom Petty over the uncanny similarities between Smith’s 2014 track and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ 1989 hit, “I Won’t Back Down.”
While the case never went to trial, and both parties maintained a civil approach throughout the dispute, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne were awarded a 12.5% songwriting credit for “Stay with Me,” acknowledging their contribution to the composition alongside Sam Smith, James Napier, and William Phillip.
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Coldplay vs. Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani, a renowned instrumental rock guitarist, and 15-time Grammy nominee, filed a lawsuit against Coldplay, a British band. He claimed that their song “Viva La Vida” sounded too similar to his own composition, “If I Could Fly.” The exact details of how this case concluded remain shrouded in mystery, as the two parties reached an undisclosed settlement in 2009.
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The Verve vs. The Rolling Stones
In 1997, “Bitter Sweet Symphony” became a massive (and dare we say the only) hit for British alt-rock band The Verve. It was also a subject of a two-decade-long legal odyssey with another British band. The Verve’s chart-topping track sampled an orchestral cover of The Rolling Stones’ “The Last Time,” While The Verve had secured clearance for the orchestral recording, they overlooked obtaining crucial publishing rights from The Rolling Stones.
Allen Klein, the former manager of The Rolling Stones, launched legal action against The Verve’s frontman, Richard Ashcroft, leading to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards being granted songwriting credit and 100% of the songwriting royalties.
In 2019, Jagger and Richard unconditionally returned their songwriting credits and publishing rights for “Bitter Sweet Symphony” to Richard Ashcroft.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
The Beatles vs. Chuck Berry
Initially composed by John Lennon as a potential campaign song for pro-drugs activist Timothy Leary, the track took on a life of its own within The Beatles’ Abbey Road album.
However, upon its release, “Come Together” raised eyebrows due to its striking resemblance to Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me.” While Paul McCartney had advised Lennon to slow down the song to differentiate it, the was still grounds for a lawsuit. The dispute escalated, and an out-of-court settlement was reached, resulting in a rather unusual agreement.
In a bid to appease Lennon agreed to cover more songs from Berry’s publisher, Big Seven. This peculiar twist in the settlement seemed to promise a mutually beneficial musical venture, leveraging Lennon’s fame to boost business for Berry’s catalog.
Nonetheless, the story took a turn when Lennon allegedly breached the contract, failing to fulfill the agreed-upon recordings. This further complicated the legal wrangle, adding intrigue and suspense to the already captivating clash between two musical giants.
Image Credit: Wikipedia.
Queen & David Bowie vs. Vanilla Ice
You just need functional eardrums to notice that Vanilla Ice’s one-hit wonder sampled the bass line of the iconic 1981 Queen/Bowie collaboration “Under Pressure.” Despite the undeniable similarities, Vanilla Ice insisted that he had made the melodies distinct by adding a beat between the notes. However, he later admitted that his defense was merely a joke.
Not amused by this, representatives for Queen and Bowie threatened a copyright infringement lawsuit. In an effort to avoid a potentially damaging legal battle, Vanilla Ice chose to settle the case out of court.
The case was eventually settled out of court, with Vanilla Ice granting credits to the original artists.
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Chuck Berry vs. The Beach Boys
Chuck Berry filed a lawsuit against The Beach Boys over their hit “Surfin’ U.S.A,” claiming that the song’s melody closely resembled Berry’s classic “Sweet Little Sixteen.” The dispute was settled with an agreement that granted Berry partial songwriting credits for “Surfin’ U.S.A.”
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