Joe Satriani sues Coldplay...and not for sucking

[UNC]

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081205/ap_en_mu/coldplay_copyright_infringement)

LOS ANGELES – A noted guitarist has sued members of Coldplay, claiming the band's smash hit "Viva La Vida" copied parts of one of his songs.
The copyright infringement lawsuit by Joe Satriani was filed Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles.
The 52-year-old claims Coldplay copied "substantial, original portions" of his 2004 song, "If I Could Fly." The Coldplay hit, which was nominated for a Grammy this week, has topped charts around the world and been used to sell iPods in commercials.
Representatives for the band and their label, Capitol Records, did not return calls seeking comment on Friday.
Satriani wants a federal judge to order an accounting so he can determine how much money he may be owed, or else stop using the song.

[Genius]

I'm not really a big fan of Satriani, but I think he might be a little too good for Coldplay to copy.

[UNC]

Who knew he had "suck" copywritten

[hatepoppy]

if its that ipod song, id wouldve let em keep it. way to fight to hold onto ghey.

more like joe fagtriwannablowme.

[UNC]

This will get settled faster than the speed of sound

[detroitwilly]

i just listened to the song, and yea, it sounds like they stole a little of it.
satriani should've marketed it better.

[BIG PIZZLE]

He would make more money if he sues them for sucking.

[Datači]

Both songs suck anyways

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[Bill Paxton]

Yeah, that sounds like a pretty blatant ripoff. I am guessing they just kind of figured no one that listens to Joe Satriani is going to listen to Cold Play so they'd get away with it.

[the creeps]

whats a Joe Satriani?

[Cow]

http://img213.imagevenue.com/loc556/th_97584_hoesatrinai6cc_122_556lo.jpg (http://img213.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=97584_hoesatrinai6cc_122_556lo.jpg)h ttp://img46.imagevenue.com/loc187/th_97588_joestaa02c110_122_187lo.jpg (http://img46.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=97588_joestaa02c110_122_187lo.jpg)ht tp://img128.imagevenue.com/loc1198/th_97590_jopesatrinif58a174d1_122_1198lo.jpg (http://img128.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=97590_jopesatrinif58a174d1_122_1198l o.jpg)http://img174.imagevenue.com/loc646/th_97591_jpe_satrini_1_122_646lo.jpg (http://img174.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=97591_jpe_satrini_1_122_646lo.jpg)

When there were only Guitar magazines, evereyone knew who he was. Now with online tab, no one cares anymore. Coldplay can suck my balls, I can't believe they've taken over the US. It would be nice if they rocked or something. If I were him I would turn down any money offer and make them remove the song, if it was possible of course.

[vasili denisov]

I question whether he has a case. In the most prominent examples of music plagiarism ("Ghostbusters" and "I Want a New Drug", "He's My Guy" and "My Sweet Lord", "Sweet Sixteen" and "Surfin USA"), you could make a point that the defendant had to have heard the music since it was so ubiquitous (in the case of "Ghostbusters" they heard the working tracks).

This is a relatively obscure piece of music, and unless you could prove that Eno or Coldplay were Satriani afficiandados, that's a weak point. Also, if you hear the selected fragments side by side, the resemblances stand out; when I listen to "Viva La Vida" all the way through, the similar part doesn't stand out at all. I don't doubt that there's a closeness in notes and tempo in the fragment; but the tone and context (the Satriani song is upbeat, the Coldplay is melancholy) gives it an entirely sound.

[White.Rabbit]

coldplay are fags. satriani ruuules.

[Menace2Sobriety]

I agree with Cuntlicious.

[Genius]

Someone should firebomb this court room.

[Poop Sailboat]

you'd feel pretty bad if someone actually did.

[Genius]

Ok, you're right. Someone should fart really bad in this court room.

[UNC]

It's not a meatloaf lawsuit.

[dadaelus]

I question whether he has a case. In the most prominent examples of music plagiarism ("Ghostbusters" and "I Want a New Drug", "He's My Guy" and "My Sweet Lord", "Sweet Sixteen" and "Surfin USA"), you could make a point that the defendant had to have heard the music since it was so ubiquitous (in the case of "Ghostbusters" they heard the working tracks).

This is a relatively obscure piece of music, and unless you could prove that Eno or Coldplay were Satriani afficiandados, that's a weak point. Also, if you hear the selected fragments side by side, the resemblances stand out; when I listen to "Viva La Vida" all the way through, the similar part doesn't stand out at all. I don't doubt that there's a closeness in notes and tempo in the fragment; but the tone and context (the Satriani song is upbeat, the Coldplay is melancholy) gives it an entirely sound.

I think that Coldplay's lawyer is going to do everything possible to keep the judge from seeing that YouTube bit. It's like a Reese's peanut butter cup: The two bits together sound better than each on its own.

[Alcestis]

Satriani filed suit Thursday, Dec 4th...was this before or after Coldplay's song went up for a Grammy nomination?

[Archetype]

I was waiting for this to happen, but Satriani? I thought they took it from Alizee.

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[Rumpleforeskin]

I honestly didn't know that Coldplay even used guitars. I thought they made all their shit with synthesizers and computers.

[TylerDurden]

I question whether he has a case. In the most prominent examples of music plagiarism ("Ghostbusters" and "I Want a New Drug", "He's My Guy" and "My Sweet Lord", "Sweet Sixteen" and "Surfin USA"), you could make a point that the defendant had to have heard the music since it was so ubiquitous (in the case of "Ghostbusters" they heard the working tracks).

This is a relatively obscure piece of music, and unless you could prove that Eno or Coldplay were Satriani afficiandados, that's a weak point. Also, if you hear the selected fragments side by side, the resemblances stand out; when I listen to "Viva La Vida" all the way through, the similar part doesn't stand out at all. I don't doubt that there's a closeness in notes and tempo in the fragment; but the tone and context (the Satriani song is upbeat, the Coldplay is melancholy) gives it an entirely sound.

good points are raised here. unfortunately i think it's going to be very difficult for coldplay to distance themselves from knowledge of satch; he's a guitarist, they have guitarists. the benefit of the doubt will be given to satch given that he's basically got tenure in the rock world and how close they sound when played together.

in short coldplay is fucked.

[hishiad]

This isn't a Bittersweet Symphony caliber lawsuit though.


This is a guitarist suing a bigger fish. I think they do sound similar but christ almighty if you play a guitar eventually you'll hit similar notes to someone else who plays guitar...it's kind of hard to say "copyright infringement" when technically speaking any playable note on the guitar can be recreated simply by chance by any other guitarist without them having to ever -hear- the note before. Just keep playing and learning scales and note progression and you could stumble across that little riff that Joe is saying Coldplay stole.

[TylerDurden]

This isn't a Bittersweet Symphony caliber lawsuit though.


This is a guitarist suing a bigger fish. I think they do sound similar but christ almighty if you play a guitar eventually you'll hit similar notes to someone else who plays guitar...it's kind of hard to say "copyright infringement" when technically speaking any playable note on the guitar can be recreated simply by chance by any other guitarist without them having to ever -hear- the note before. Just keep playing and learning scales and note progression and you could stumble across that little riff that Joe is saying Coldplay stole.

agreed. you could stumble on to such a riff.

but to stumble on to it to the point that you could overlay the two... doubtful. i also doubt that satch didn't consult myriad experts, both legal and otherwise, before putting himself out like this. he, a professional of many years, has heard enough to be convinced that they've taken his shit. he consulted those smarter than he on the matter. his inner circle has told him that his shit has been gangstered. his lawyers are now gunning for coldplay.

it's not as if the man is stupid enough to enter into this fight blindly. he obviously knows something that we don't, else he wouldn't be wasting his money on a fight he doesn't think he can win.

[Archetype]

Nor would he have waited so long.