Satriani Sues Coldplay

[Myst and rain]

Originally Posted by Chimp RG

Myst, I agree with you in some respects BUT Joe is standing up for what he believes in and what is right for him.

That's true and I respect that. It's just not how I would have reacted, that's all.

Originally Posted by Chimp RG

and maybe, if he wins, it will send a clear signal to others

The signal being: don't f*** with Satch.

[Myst and rain]

Originally Posted by jono

Apparently two more artists have now come forwards saying that they have similar songs that pre-date Satch's tune so the case looks far from open and shut!

Oh my, what a messy case this is becoming.

[Robstar]

I guess none of you write music. Because if you did ,you would know about the the fact that just as you are putting the finishing touches on your next great song you go somewhere and BAM! It smacks you in the face like an old pimp trying to get his money.
Your song , riff or chord progression done by someone else on the radio or web.
I happens all the time and then you have to throw away the whole thing and start new.
I respect Joe but it does not sound like he is suing it sounds like his lawyers are.
I have heard parts of his songs that sound like someone else.
As for me . i will be doing my next cd using only pentatonic scales that way i can sue the next guy who uses a pentatonic scale. I own them biatches!

[andy7jem]

Originally Posted by DEADTUNES666

About five years ago we named a scent "Krispy Kreme Doughnut" because that's what we thought it smelled like.

Just be thankful it wasn't "Krispy Kreme Krackers" as that could've opened up a whole different set of problems

Jeez, i go away for a couple of days and all this mess pops up

I would guess they thought no-one listening to their music would know Satch so they wouldn't get rumbled!! People are that stupid

Go Joe

[Algiman]

Sounds to me like Coldplay behaved like asses, hence Satch going after them and for that I hope he wins. But, it is a really obvious melody so I'm sure there are loads of tracks out there that sound very similar. I doubt it was original to either of them.

[Batchimp RG]

Originally Posted by Robstar

I respect Joe but it does not sound like he is suing it sounds like his lawyers are.

Gotta disagree with you there, bro. I'd say Joe is the one driving this. Read what he says in the interviews it's clearly personal.

[Myst and rain]

Originally Posted by Robstar

I guess none of you write music. Because if you did ,you would know about the the fact that just as you are putting the finishing touches on your next great song you go somewhere and BAM! It smacks you in the face like an old pimp trying to get his money.
Your song , riff or chord progression done by someone else on the radio or web.
I happens all the time and then you have to throw away the whole thing and start new.

I write music and personally I never throw anything away when it sounds similar to something else. It's never 100% the same anyway. What I wrote is just as much original as anything else that sounds similar to whatever degree. The only difference is that someone else came up with certain parts earlier than me which doesn't mean anything. I mean it could easliy have been the other way around.

[ColinMmmmm]

I just read an interview with Satch where he comments on the whole thing. I see his point, and I've never liked Coldplay, so go Joe! He mentions not wanting to bring it to court and Coldplay ignoring him.

[Andy43]

I seriously doubt that a band from Britain would ever hear a song by an American guitar virtuoso that even I haven't heard before all of this. I'm not the biggest Satch fan, but it goes to show that Coldplay really would have went out of there way to find this song to steal. And they would have to be complete a**holes to go looking for a song to steal. Or maybe they are and their bad karma is coming back around to get them?

[waylay00]

Originally Posted by Andy43

I seriously doubt that a band from Britain would ever hear a song by an American guitar virtuoso that even I haven't heard before all of this. I'm not the biggest Satch fan, but it goes to show that Coldplay really would have went out of there way to find this song to steal. And they would have to be complete a**holes to go looking for a song to steal. Or maybe they are and their bad karma is coming back around to get them?

There's an old interview from years ago where the lead Coldplay guy mentions Satriani offhand. I can't find it though. More people know Satriani than you think. Heck, he wouldn;t have been on YouTube Live if he weren't that popular.

[DEADTUNES666]

The problem is, is that if nothing happens in cases like this then what are the copyright laws protecting? You cannot copyright a chord progression. What the copyrightable portion is, are the lyrics and melody line.

In this case the melody line only, as there are no words. If the works in question fall under the guidelines stated, then the suit should be upheld.

Whether they did it knowingly or not is irrelevant. The law is the law. If they were speeding in a school zone while drinking alcohol and had open containers in the car and didn't know it was illegal should they still get in trouble when stopped? Hell yeah they should!!!

[Andy43]

Originally Posted by DEADTUNES666

The problem is, is that if nothing happens in cases like this then what are the copyright laws protecting? You cannot copyright a chord progression. What the copyrightable portion is, are the lyrics and melody line.

In this case the melody line only, as there are no words. If the works in question fall under the guidelines stated, then the suit should be upheld.

Whether they did it knowingly or not is irrelevant. The law is the law. If they were speeding in a school zone while drinking alcohol and had open containers in the car and didn't know it was illegal should they still get in trouble when stopped? Hell yeah they should!!!

I think that is asking a little too much though. That's like saying "you must be aware of every song ever written, so that you can know for sure that your idea is original." Besides, what makes you think that the law is always correct.

[Petie]

Originally Posted by Andy43

I think that is asking a little too much though. That's like saying "you must be aware of every song ever written, so that you can know for sure that your idea is original." Besides, what makes you think that the law is always correct.

But we're not just talking about just the same chords or something. If that was the case, then all those I-V-VI-IV songs on the radio would be outlawed. Every I-IV-V song would be banned. The portion of Viva La Vida in question contains the same chords. The same melody. The same rhythm. The same key. The same tempo. It's all just too much of a coincidence and it goes far deeper than "Hey, the rhythm track of Avril Lavigne's 'Girlfriend' sounds kinda like Toni Basil's 'Hey Mickey' crossed with the chords from 'What's My Age Again?' (although come to think of it, someone else tried to sue her for the vocal melody and lyrics). http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00009927.html

[IbanezFreak777]

Originally Posted by Andy43

I seriously doubt that a band from Britain would ever hear a song by an American guitar virtuoso that even I haven't heard before all of this. I'm not the biggest Satch fan, but it goes to show that Coldplay really would have went out of there way to find this song to steal. And they would have to be complete a**holes to go looking for a song to steal. Or maybe they are and their bad karma is coming back around to get them?

Are you serious ? When those morons from coldplay were growing up and learning guitar, they most definatly had heard of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Its not like the UK's guitar scene are oblivious to them. I have tonnes of Guitar magazines from the UK and they are constantly plastered with Vai and satriani on the cover.

If anything Using a melody from a small Guitarist, on a top 40 high profile song , is the perfect way to get away with murder.

Id say any guitarist playing the electric, would have heard of Joe and most probably have listened to a few tracks before.

Dont kid yourself. Coldplay know exactly who Joe satriani is, before the suing... Id bet my J Custom on it....

[kotornut]

Originally Posted by IbanezFreak777

Are you serious ? When those morons from coldplay were growing up and learning guitar, they most definatly had heard of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Its not like the UK's guitar scene are oblivious to them. I have tonnes of Guitar magazines from the UK and they are constantly plastered with Vai and satriani on the cover.

I agree completely, come on people. Satriani is the most successful instrumental guitarist by far (in sales). Surfing with the Alien is more than once over platinum. He has tons of signature gear from companies wold renound, one of them, VOX, is also used by Coldplagiarism (Petie's word not mine) if memory serves. Not to mention he is, like Freak said, in and out of guitar magazines like crazy, on Youtube live, and in the Guitar Hero video games which not one of you can argue is unpopular.

It's absurd to think that musicians don't kow him. Yeah, hear in Japan teenie bop kids don't know him, but come on anyone who has ever picked up more than one guitar mag to look through or browsed sites like musicians friend or equivalent sites world wide has heard of him. At least they know his name. But I would venture to say they know more than his name. I bet they have heard more than one or two songs by him even if they ignorantly used the melody, chord progression, and tempo.

I was in a band that is very much like coldplay and indie/brit pop rock. And every single one of those guys knows Satch, Vai, Dream Theater and even Liquid Tension. Not to mention respects them as musicians deeply. Hell, the pianist/keyboardist introduced me to DT when he bought me Scenes From A Memory for my birthday about 8 years ago.