Another day, another copyright infringement lawsuit in the music industry. It seems like they are never ending these days! The most recent high profile case involves Rob Thicke, Pharrel Williams and Marvin Gaye. The ruling is highly controversial and many think it will set a dangerous precedent in future applications of copyright law. Find out about this case and check out the list we compiled of the most high profile, significant, and intriguing cases of all time.
Mark Ronson vs. The Gap Band, the Sequence, Zapp and Collage (2015–2018)
When Mark Ronson released “Uptown Funk” featuring Bruno Mars in 2014 it started a wave of controversy. “Oops Upside Your Head” by the Gap Band (1979), “Funk You Up” by the Sequence (1979), “More Bounce to the Ounce” by Zapp (1980), “Young Girls” by Collage (1983) are just some of the bands and songs involved in accusing Ronson of wrongdoing. Most of the cases against the song are still pending, and some have been resolved outside of court. The importance of this case is it puts into question what constitutes an original song especially in the era where digital music samples are increasingly used in artists songs.
Mark Ronson And Bruno Mars Vs. The Sequence
Lana Del Rey Vs. Radiohead (2018)
This case case involves the song “Get Free” by Lana Del Ray and “Creep” of Radiohead. Radiohead claimed they should get 100% of the publishing rights for the song, and Del Ray continually denied accusations of plagiarism. She eventually wanted to compromise by allowing them 40% of publishing rights, but Radiohead refused. The case has yet to go to trial and it does not seem like there will be a settlement agreement.
Lana Del Ray Vs. Radiohead
Gordon Jenkins Vs. Johnny Cash (1955)
Johnny Cash lost a lawsuit to Gordon Jenkins for $75,000 back in 1955 for being found guilty of using lyrics from Jenkins’ song “Crescent City Blues” as the basis for his song “Folsom Prison Blues.” Despite loosing the lawsuit, it did not damage Cash’s reputation as one of the best singer, songwriters and performers of all time.
Gordon Jenkins Vs. Johnny Cash
Chuck Berry Vs. The Beatles (1975)
Chuck Berry sued John Lennon alleging portions of “Come Together” were stolen from Berry’s track “You Can’t Catch Me.” They reached a settlement agreement, but it also initiated many more lawsuits between Lennon and Morris Levy who is the publisher that owned the rights to Berry’s song.
Chuck Berry Vs. The Beatles John Lennon
Jorge Ben Vs. Rod Steward (1976)
Rod Steward was sued by Brazilian musician Jorge Ben. He claimed Stewart stole the hook from his track “Taj Mahal.” Stewart later stated it was “unconscious plagarism,” and gave some of the songs profits to UNICEF.
Jorge Ben Vs. Rod Stewart
Miley Cyrus Vs. Michael May
A Jamaican songwriter by the name of Michael May is taking Miley Cyrus to court asking for $300 million dollars in damages. The case involves the hit “We Can’t Stop.” May claims Cyrus stole lyrics from his own music. The case is still pending and Cyrus hopes the case will be dismissed from court.
Michael May Vs. Miley Cyrus
Taylor Swift Vs. Sean Hall and Nathan Butler (2018)
This lawsuit alleges Taylor Swift stole lyrics for her hit “Shake it Off” from the 3LW song “Playas Gon’ Play” which was written by Sean Hall and Nathan Butler. The case was very recently thrown out of court.
Taylor Swift Vs. 3LW
Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams Vs. Marvin Gaye (2015, 2018)
This case began in 2015 when Marvin Gaye’s family claimed that Rob Thicke’s super popular song “Blurred Lines” stole from Gaye’s hit “Got to Give it Up.” The court ruled in favor of the Gaye family. Thicke and Williams appealed the decision and just this week the court upheld in the verdict in a split decision. The decision now forces the duo to pay millions of dollars in damages. The importance behind this decision is the duo did not loose because they copied word for word or note for note lyrics/music, but rather they were charged with illegally using elements of Gaye’s style. This is not strictly prohibited under current U.S. Copyright Law, but many believe this decision will set a precedent and cause a wave of new lawsuits in the music industry.
Robin Thicke And Pharrell Williams Vs. Marvin Gaye
Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj Vs. Christopher R. O’Connor (2018)
Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj’s hit “Side to Side” is involved in a new lawsuit filed by Christopher R. O’Conner claiming the song stole from his track “J5 (T6).” O’Connor is blaming record label executives at UMG stating they are freely giving artists access to his tracks and encouraging them to borrow from his music. The case is still pending.
Nicki Minaj And Ariana Grande Vs. Christopher OConnor
The Last Poets Vs. Notorious B.I.G
The Last Poets brought on a copyright lawsuit stating lyrics used in The Notorious B.I.G. 1993 hit “Party and Bullshit” were stolen. They sought $24 million dollars in damages. The case was dismissed.
The Last Poets Vs. Notorious B.I.G.
The Dipomat’s Vs. Wu-Tang Clan (2018)
Hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan are being sued for copyright infringement over their song “People Say” by the 60s trio The Diplomats. They claim Wu-Tang stole the melody, lyrics and rhythm from their 1969 track entitled “I’ve Got The Kind Of Love.” The trio is asking for money and that Wu-Tang stop the sales and streaming of the song.
The Diplomats Vs. Wu Tang Clan
The Beach Boys Vs. Chuck Berry (1963)
The controversy in this case involved the Beach Boys song “Surfin’ U.S.A.” and Chuck Berry’s song “Sweet Little Sixteen.” The Beach Boys manager, Murry Wilson, agreed to give over the publishing rights to avoid a larger ordeal. Berry’s name appeared in the credits beginning in 1966.
The Beach Boys Vs. Chuck Berry
Led Zeppelin Vs. Willie Dixon (1972)
Led Zeppelin’s second album opener “Whole Lotta Love” took lyrics from a song Dixon wrote entitled “You Need Love.” The case was settled outside of court for a suspected large sum of money.
Led Zeppelin Vs. Willie Dixon
George Harrison Vs. The Chiffons (1976)
The issue here involved George Harrison’s first solo number one hit, “My Sweet Lord” and the song “He’s So Fine,” by the Chiffons. The judge ruled in favor of The Chiffons stating Harrison was guilty of “subconscious plagiarism.” He was initially ordered to pay $1,599,987, but this amount was reduced to $587,000 when his former manager Allen Klein purchased Bright Tunes Music and negotiated the sale of the song to Harrison. The importance of this ruling is that it introduced the precedent of “subconscious plagiarism” into court rulings.
George Harrison Vs. The Chiffons
Ray Parker Jr. Vs. Huey Lewis and the News (1984)
This case involves the “Ghostbusters” theme song written by Ray Parker Jr. and “I Want a New Drug” written by Huey Lewis and the News. They reached a settlement outside of court and agreed that neither party would discuss the suit in the media. This agreement was upheld until Lewis spoke of the case in a 2001 episode of VH1’s Behind the Music. He was sued by Parker shortly after the episode aired.
Huey Lewis And The News Vs. The Ghostbusters Theme Song
John Fogerty Vs. Creedence Clearwater Revival (1994)
This case involves Fogerty’s 1985 song “The Old Man Down the Road,” and “Run Through the Jungle” by Creedence Clearwater Revival. During the case, Fogerty brought his guitar into the courtroom and demonstrated the two songs were totally different compositions. The judge ruled in his favor, and the case was appealed until it was heard by the Supreme Court. Fogerty won again and was awarded lawyer fees for both cases.
John Fogerty Vs. Creedence Clearwater Revival
Vanilla Ice Vs. Queen and David Bowie (1990)
One of the most well known copyright lawsuits ever is between Vanilla Ice and Queen and David Bowie. It is pretty clear that Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” sampled the bass line of the Queen/Bowie song “Under Pressure.” We all laughed when Vanilla Ice claimed the songs were different because of one additional beat. He later said his comment was a joke. The case was settled outside of court, costing Vanilla Ice a lot of money and a hit to his public reputation. Additionally, Queen and Bowie received songwriting credits on the song.
Vanilla Ice Vs. David Bowie And Queen
De La Soul Vs. The Turtles (1991)
Another very famous case involved the group De La Soul and the Turtles. At this time sampling was very new to music, and De La Soul included a 12 second clip of the Turtles’ song “You Showed Me.” The case was settled out of court and it is alleged De La Soul had to pay a sum of $1.7 million dollars.
De La Soul Vs. The Turtles
Black Eyed Peas Vs. Lynn Tolliver (2011)
The Black Eyed Peas were accused of illegally sampling the song “I Need a Freak” by Lynn Tolliver on their hit “My Humps.” The court sided with Tolliver, and the Black Eyed Peas were ordered to pay $1.2 million dollars in damages.
Black Eyed Peas Vs. Lynn Tolliver
Ed Sheeran Vs. Faith Hill and Tim McGraw (2018)
Ed Sheeran is currently engaged in a copyright infringement lawsuit with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill over the song “The Rest of Our Life.” The plaintiffs claim Sheeran stole from the melody of the 2014 track “When I Found You.” Ed Sheeran denied any similarities between the two songs and stated his song was originally and independently created. He asked the judge to throw out the case. It is still pending.
Ed Sheeran Vs. Faith Hill And Tim McGraw
Led Zepplin Vs. Spirit (2014)
Led Zeppelin was accused of using opening instrumental’s from the track “Taurus” by the band Spirit. Zeppelin was found not guilty.
Led Zeppelin Vs. Spirit
The New Seekers Vs. Oasis (1994)
Oasis was successfully sued by The New Seekers over the 1994 song “Shakermaker” for allegedly stealing the melody from The New Seekers’ song from 1971 “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.” They settled outside of court and Oasis paid $500,000 in damages.
The New Seekers Vs. Oasis
The Hollies Vs. Radiohead (1992)
Radiohead was successfully sued for plagiarism back in 1992 over melody similarities with their song “Creep” and The Hollies song “The Air That I Breathe.” The Hollies won the case.
The Hollies Vs. Radiohead
Ed Sheeran Vs. Matt Cardle (2017)
This controversy involves Ed Sheeran’s song “Photograph” and the song “Amazing” which was written for the TV show The X Factor. This case is especially controversial because Sheeran’s hit has sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide. Sheeran was initially sued for $20 million, but the case was settled outside of court and Sheeran had to pay $16 million.
Ed Sheeran Vs. Matt Cardle
Justin Bieber Vs. White Hinterland (2018)
Justin Bieber and Skrillex are being sued by singer-songwriter White Hinterland who are arguing “Sorry” violated the copyright of “Ring the Bell.” It is likely this case will be settled outside of court.
Justin Bieber And Skrillex Vs. White Hinterland
2 Live Crew Vs. Roy Orbison (1994)
This case involves 2 Live Crew’s 1989 hit “Pretty Woman” and Roy Orbison’s song “Oh, Pretty Woman.” 2 Live Crew was found not guilty as wrongdoing as the Court ruled the song was a parody and thus not guilty of violating any copyright laws.
2 Live Crew Vs. Roy Orbison
The Verve Vs. The Rolling Stones (1997)
This case involves the 1997 Verve song “Bitter Sweet Symphony” and “The Last Time” by the Rolling Stones which was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1965. The Verve was forced to forfeit all songwriting royalties and publishing rights, and credit for the song was given to Jagger and Richards.
The Verve Vs. The Rollingstones
Ariana Grande Vs. Alex Greggs (2018)
Ariana Grande was sued over her 2015 song “One Last Time.” Alex Greggs claimed the song stole from a song he wrote for Sky Stevens entitled “Takes All Night.” Greggs is asking for a settlement of $150,000.
Ariana Grande Vs. Alex Greggs
Chance The Rapper Vs. Abdul Wali Muhammad (2018)
Chance the Rapper is being sued for copyright infringement by a New York lawyer and jazz musician over the song “Windows.” Muhammed is requesting the song is no longer copied, distributed, performed or sold to the public.
Chance The Rapper Vs. Abdul Wali Muhammad
Kanye West and Solange Knowles Vs. Leroy Mitchell (2018)
Kanye West and Solange are both being sued for copyright infringement by Leroy Mitchell. Mitchell goes by stage name “Prince Phillip” and claims the artist stole from his song “If We Can’t Be Lovers” with their songs “Everything I Am” and “Fuck the Industry.” Surprisingly, Mitchell is listed as a co-writer on both songs already. We will wait and see how this one plays out.
Solange Knowles And Kanye West Vs. Leroy Mitchell
Wiz Khalifa Vs. Cymple Man (2018)
Wiz Khalifa is facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from Georgia rapper, Cymple Man. The controversy involves both artists song’s entitled “Most of Us.” Cymple man claims he met Khalifa in a Salt Lake City airport in 2012, gave him copies of the demo the song, and Khalifa used the lyrics and musical theme from it for his own version. Khalifa ignored requests of Cymple man to be added for credits on the song.
Wiz Khalifa Vs. Cymple Man
Eminem Vs. New Zealand National Party (2014)
Eminem won this suit against the New Zealand National Party when the Court found the party guilty of infringing upon Eminem’s track “Lose Yourself” for a campaign ad in 2014. New Zealand’s High Court ordered the National Party to pay Eminem’s publishing company about $415,000 USD in damages.
Eminem Vs. The New Zealand National Party
Shakira Vs. Ramon Arias Vasquez (2014)
A federal judge dismissed this case involving Shakira’s song “Loca” and Ramon Arias Vasquez’s song “Loca con Su Tiguere.” It was revealed a key piece of evidence (a cassette tape which Vasquez claimed to have recorded the original song) was fake.
Shakira Vs. Ramon Arias Vasquez
Demi Lovato Vs. Sleigh Bells (2016)
Indie rock band Sleigh Bells filed a suit against Demi Lovato stating her song “Stars” contained material from their song “Infinity Guitars.” The case was settled outside of court and the details were not disclosed to the public.
Demi Lovato Vs. Sleigh Bells
Justin Bieber and Usher Vs. Devin Copeland and Mareio Overton (2017)
Two Virginia songwriters accused Bieber and Usher of copying parts of their song and used it for “Somebody to Love.” They sued the duo for $10 million. The judge dismissed the case.
Justin Bieber And Usher Vs. Devin Copeland And Mareio Overton
Chris Brown Vs. Nayri Gregor (2015)
Songwriter Nayeri Gregor filed a suit against Chris Brown over his 2012 hit “Don’t Wake Me Up.” She claimed it infringed on her 2009 song that has the same title. She claimed the song had the same title, lyrics and rhythm. They reached a settlement outside of court.
Chris Brown Vs. Nayri Gregor
Mariah Carey Vs. Seth Swirsky and Warryn Campbell (2002)
Swirsky and Campbell filed a lawsuit against Mariah Carey claiming her 1999 song “Thank God I Found You” stole from their song “One of Those Love Songs” which was recorded by the band Xscape. Carey was found not guilty by a California court.
Mariah Carey Vs. Xscape
Weird Al” Yankovic Vs. Coolio (2008)
Weird Al received permission from Interscope Records to parody “Gangsta’s Paradise,” but Coolio did not agree. Coolio spoke out publicly against the parody, but it falls under fair use.
Weird Al Vs. Coolio
Christina Aguilera Vs. Dave Cortez and the Moon People‘s (2011)
This song involved Aguilera’s 2004 hit “Ain’t No Other Man.” She and her record label were accused of paying the wrong distributor for use of a sample from Dave Cortez and the Moon People’s song “Hippy Skippy Moon Strut.” The case was dismissed.
Christina Aguelera Vs. David Cortez And The Moon People
Jay Z Vs. Eddie Bo (2014)
This lawsuit involved Jay Z’s “Run This Town” and Eddie Bo’s song “Hook and Sling Part 1.” The judge ruled there was no copyright infringement.
Jay Z Vs. Eddie Bo