So you thought the only people who had to worry about being victims of copyright infringement law suits were hip hop producers. Guess what you were wrong. 80's New Wave band Men At Work have just lost a lawsuit over their hit song Down Under which according to an Australian judge they plagiarized a folk song called "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree".
The consensus online is that this is a major set back for musicians around the world for several
reasons.
reasons.
Firstly, because it is not even clear that the publishing company legally owns the Kookaburra
song. Secondly, it is clear that Men At Work did not intentionally plagiarize Kookaburra
but were possibly influenced by the song. What art can exist without influence? (I've talked
about this before). This lawsuit basically tells the world that if a publishing company has
enough money they can file and win frivolous lawsuits that clearly go against the core purpose
of copyright law, protecting artists so that they will keep making art. It is about time we started
to take the courts and the lawyers out of the artistic industries.
song. Secondly, it is clear that Men At Work did not intentionally plagiarize Kookaburra
but were possibly influenced by the song. What art can exist without influence? (I've talked
about this before). This lawsuit basically tells the world that if a publishing company has
enough money they can file and win frivolous lawsuits that clearly go against the core purpose
of copyright law, protecting artists so that they will keep making art. It is about time we started
to take the courts and the lawyers out of the artistic industries.
Clearly they don't belong. Who can make art without influence, show me any art that wasn't
influenced by another piece of art, according to this judge every piece of art created in the
modern world is in violation of the law.
Clearly this is a mess...
-One Love.
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