I have lost count of all the plagiarism cases I have heard of in the music industry. For example, there are artists that do not pay royalties for covering another artist music or song. Of course there are other form of plagiarism, only, I do not believe that it is plagiarism.
Let me see how I can explain this. There are 7 chords in a key. And there are only 12 major keys and 12 minor keys. So there are 24 keys all together.
Now lets say that only one artist can ever use the key of b flat. That means that there can only be 24 artists that can exist today because the rest would be plagiarizing. Well that doesn’t make any since does it? The answer is no, it doesn’t make since. Therefore no one is allowed to copyright a specific key or chord progression.
This ruling is the cause of many different lawsuits throughout music history for plagiarism.
I am going to use an example that is not too old and people can relate to. The case is Joe Satriani (If I Could Fly) vs. Coldplay (Viva La Vida).
Both Coldplay and Satriani's song for you to compare.
Opinions on the Satriani Vs. Coldplay lawsuit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5tgeaBhbtE&feature=related
I have to admit that both song sound alike but in my opinion it is just a coincidence. But the chord progression used is a common chord progression and it had been used many times before even Satriani used it. Take Cat Stevens (Foreigner Suite) and Creaky Boards (The Songs I didn’t Write). All these songs have the same chord progression and tempo but it doesn’t mean that it is plagiarism. If it was then Cat Stevens would be the owner of the chord progression and none of the songs mentioned above would be a part of our musical library.
In the end of this intense battle between Satriani and Coldplay there was a settlement between them for an undisclosed amount. I personally think that Coldplay gave in to easily and that in time they would have won the battle. Satriani does not have any rights to the chords used in Viva La Vida.
Bellow are some other songs that contain the same chord progressions. You be the judge if it is plagiarism or not.
Bellow are some other songs that contain the same chord progressions. You be the judge if it is plagiarism or not.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I
Video Links/ references provided under each video.
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