Copyright Law Discussion (formerly Marvin Gaye's Estate is Destroying Music...)

[Fergasun]

Can we talk how crazy it is that after winning the ridiculous "Blurred lines" lawsuit which apparently means someone can copyright a musical "feel" which was a basic drum groove they are now going after Ed Sheerhan for copying "Let's Get it on" with "Thinking Out Loud".  I honestly think that it's a closer copy than "Blurred lines".   But it's still ridiculous. 

 

From now on musicians should just ensure they copy music from the pre-copyright era... can copy all the Bach, Tchaikovsky, etc. you want.  Just goodness forbid you happen to use common and similar chord progressions.

 

 

Edited May 19, 2023 by Fergasun
new title

[Cool Hwhip]

Straight money grabbing, ridiculous.

[No Nonsense]

I don't see how anyone can listen to "Blurred lines" and not immediately think of "Got to give it up." Music is copyrighted for a reason and obviously judges are agreeing with Marvin Gaye's estate so they're obviously doing the right thing by protecting his legacy by suing. 
 

Don't get mad because these "artist" are getting caught trying to steal other people's work. They change the melody of an existing song just enough where they think they can get away with it. 
 

[Xameil]

So....Ed Sheerhan is going to quit music if he loses?

 

Why am I failing to see the problem with this?

 

Bigger travesty...Iron Maiden is STILL not in the Rock and Roll hall of fame...

Edited May 3, 2023 by Xameil

[The Evil Genius]

And who did Marvin Gaye copy? 

[No Nonsense]

8 hours ago, The Evil Genius said:

And who did Marvin Gaye copy? 

Who was he influenced by or who did he copy? There's a difference.

Edited May 4, 2023 by No Nonsense

[CobraCommander]

We're running out of chord progressions here, people. 

[Cooked Crack]

I don't think it's Marvin Gaye's estate on this one.

Quote

Ed Sheeran’s much-awaited copyright-infringement trial started last week in Manhattan federal court. Sheeran stands accused of copying Marvin Gaye’s legendary R&B song “Let’s Get It On” in his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud.” This lawsuit, filed by the heirs of the song’s co-writer and composer Ed Townsend, claims Sheetan unlawfully employed the “heart” of Gaye’s song — that is, “harmonic progressions” and “melodic and rhythmic elements.”

https://www.vulture.com/article/ed-sheeran-copyright-lawsuit-over-marvin-gaye-song-explained.html

 

This one is definitely a money grab. I hope Ed Sheeran wins.

[The Evil Genius]

As a non musician, I find the whole thing silly. All music slightly copies, influences, whatever future music.

 

Unless Sheeran was sampling actual music without permission, what's the problem here? I listened to the two songs and what, the drum line is similar or something?

 

To me, the difference between this and say, Vanilla Ice blatantly ripping off Under Pressure to make Ice Ice Baby is remarkable. 

[CobraCommander]

It happens all the time. Some people chose to sue. This is an interesting example:

 

 

[Llevron]

All of y'all are right and that's why I steal music. 

 

Is what I would say but then I would have to report it on my SF86 so its all just hypothetical for me. 

[CobraCommander]

One time my wife got accused of stealing a landscape design from a famous designer. She says she never saw the image before and that she came up with it on her own. The design was essentially a fountain and in the middle there where two winding staircases that meet each at the top. Unbeknownst to her a famous designer had done this exact thing. She almost got kicked out of school for it but convinced them she had never seen it.

 

Hell one time I thought I was clever mixing Lemonade and Iced Tea. Like that asshole golfer needs one more thing to his name, couldn't leave me a little crumb.

[Destino]

the best thing about blurred lines was Emily Ratajkowski, and no lawsuit can erase that.  The song was forgettable and a little creepy.  

as for the lawsuit, it really seems sketchy because most pop songs have very similar chord progressions as it is.  There’s not an infinite supply and at some point these lawsuits start to feel ridiculous.  If you want examples of this google “pop songs same chord progression.”
 

 

[TD_washingtonredskins]

39 minutes ago, Xameil said:

So....Ed Sheerhan is going to quit music if he loses?

 

Why am I failing to see the problem with this?

 

Bigger travesty...Iron Maiden is STILL not in the Rock and Roll hall of fame...

 

I know you're being facetious here, but that would be a travesty. Ed Sheeran is pretty talented and there's really nothing wrong with being inspired by existing music out there. 

5 minutes ago, CobraCommander said:

One time my wife got accused of stealing a landscape design from a famous designer. She says she never saw the image before and that she came up with it on her own. The design was essentially a fountain and in the middle there where two winding staircases that meet each at the top. Unbeknownst to her a famous designer had done this exact thing. She almost got kicked out of school for it but convinced them she had never seen it.

 

Hell one time I thought I was clever mixing Lemonade and Iced Tea. Like that asshole golfer needs one more thing to his name, couldn't leave me a little crumb.

 

I remember about 15 years ago when most people I knew were drinking bourbon and coke, I decided to add a splash of spicy ginger ale to mine at home. I thought I was a genius and ordered it at a bar a couple weeks later. The bartender said "Kentucky Mule? You got it..." and my bubble was burst pretty quickly. 

 

But, your point is valid...people can come up with ideas independently even if they've been "discovered" before. 

[CobraCommander]

2 minutes ago, Destino said:

the best thing about blurred lines was Emily Ratajkowski, and no lawsuit can erase that.  The song was forgettable and a little creepy.  

as for the lawsuit, it really seems sketchy because most pop songs have very similar chord progressions as it is.  There’s not an infinite supply and at some point these lawsuits start to feel ridiculous.  “If you want examples of this google pop songs same chord progression.”
 

 

No need to google my friends, it's all right here!

 

 

[Fergasun]

Great skit, but I think they cheat by singing all those songs in the same key so they sound exactly the same when given that common progression.

 

Have I looked at it?  No... but even when I download tabs for songs I see that they sometimes, many times the tabs are actually wrong but sound decent when played. Then when I am playing the tabs in one ear and actual song in the other ear I'm like... whoah... it's not the same!  

[Bang]

SO I love Marvin Gaye, and wouldn't know an Ed Sheeran song if you played it for me.
I listened to his song in question and it is only the BAREST hint of similarity. It ghosts in and out, but honestly, I wonder if that is because i was listening for it?
If I hadn't, two things would have happened.

1. I wouldn't have compared it to "lets Get It On"

2. I would have immediately changed the radio station because that stuff isn't my cuppa joe.. 

The meaning of the lyric and the entire feel of it is different. In "Lets Get It On" those things are VERY important to the song, much more-so than the music. 

Marvin Gaye would not approve of this lawsuit, I think.

 

~Bang

 

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by Bang

[tshile]

2 hours ago, The Evil Genius said:

As a non musician, I find the whole thing silly

It gets worse if you are a musician. 
 

once you realize how many popular songs use incredibly basic chord progressions, you realize just how simple most music is. 
 

Bush is the worst. Try to learn guitar and queue up a tutorial on their hits and it’ll make you want to smash your guitar when you realize how mind numbingly stupid and basic their songs are. 
 

 

[Captain Wiggles]

2 hours ago, CobraCommander said:

We're running out of chord progressions here, people. 

 

Chord progressions aren't copyrightable. 🤓

[tshile]

And by the way, when you get into different genres, you’ll find one of the key defining parts of each genre is the set of chord progressions it traditionally uses…

 

Or, more importantly, the scales the chord progressions come from. 
 

as well as some other things. In many senses what someone might deem “copying” another song is really just sticking to the traditional makeup of the genre …

Edited May 3, 2023 by tshile

[skinsmarydu]

3 minutes ago, Captain Wiggles said:

 

Chord progressions aren't copyrightable. 🤓

Yup, the blues proved that. 

[Captain Wiggles]

11 minutes ago, tshile said:

 

Bush is the worst. Try to learn guitar and queue up a tutorial on their hits and it’ll make you want to smash your guitar when you realize how mind numbingly stupid and basic their songs are. 

 

You're problem is that you're not as handsome as Gavin Rossdale and you never will be. 🤪

 

Sixteen Stone is an excellent album. 

[tshile]

Just now, Captain Wiggles said:

 

You're problem is that you're not as handsome as Gavin Rossdale and you never will be. 🤪

 

Sixteen Stone is an excellent album. 

Yes they make great music for simpletons. 
 

Now Tool, that’s a band doing its own thing. 

Also Ed Sheeran is awesome 

 

I’m not a fan of his songs, I don’t really listen to him much, but anyone who can get up there and do what he does is incredibly talented. 
 

He started as a complete independent which usually sinks you in the music industry in terms of becoming a big time act, but the incredible way he builds songs on his own combined with songs lots of people actually like pushed him past that hurdle of being independent. 
 

he’s got a cool story and a magical gift. 

[Captain Wiggles]

[Jabbyrwock]

3 hours ago, No Nonsense said:

I don't see how anyone can listen to "Blurred lines" and not immediately think of "Got to give it up."

 

I know whenever I hear "Blurred lines" I think to myself "Thats Gaye".