If Coldplay Could Rule The World, They Wouldn't Be In Court

By Eriq Gardner

Progressive rock guitarist Joe Satriani has evidently heard the Internet cattle-chatter about whether the new Coldplay song "Viva La Vida" is a rip-off of his 2004 instrumental tune, "If I Could Fly."

Satriani recently filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles alleging that Coldplay incorporates "substantial original portions" of the songs melody.

Many people have had fun comparing the two songs. Here's a song comparison put together by a YouTube user that asks whether Coldplay is a tune-thief.

Satriani will need to prove both substantial similarity and that the band had access to his song to win in court. It's much easier for a musician to win a case that involves song lyrics, for obvious reasons, but copyright claims on melodies have been successful on rare occasions too. In one of the most famous, the Shirelles prevailed over George Harrison when the late Beatle took "He's So Fine" to make "My Sweet Lord." Here's the detailed history of that case.

Comments

[greg]

Your YouTube link is dead--apparently, EMI filed a takedown notice with YT. Which is really disturbing, because your post makes it sound like the video was a comparison between the two songs to determine if Coldplay had infringed copyright. If ever there was a case of fair use, that would be it.

I love Coldplay, but it really bothers me that EMI can be such a bully on YouTube.

[Postergal]

Let's see if Coldplay can sing its way to victory.

[Divorce Saloon]

Now,why would Coldplay do that? I am incredulous because it would be so stupid try to pull off such a brazen move as that. I don't believe Coldplay is guilty of copyright infringement.