Posted on 02/14/2018 4:24:29 PM PST by SMGFan
The phrase "haters gonna hate" is too "banal" to be copyrighted, a US judge has declared. Judge Michael W Fitzgerald made the comments while dismissing a copyright case against Taylor Swift. Songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler sued the star last year, arguing her single Shake It Off stole from their composition, Playas Gon' Play.
They said the chorus of her song relied on their lyric, "playas, they gonna play, and haters, they gonna hate".
Although short phrases are generally immune from copyright claims, the writers argued that combining the two thoughts was original enough to warrant protection. Fitzgerald disagreed - in quite some style.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
It would be great if the Judge gave his verdict in Rap.
Spank, woo, woo, woo, woo, spank
Spank, woo, woo, woo, woo, spank
When you're lovin' me lady, spank
That's how I want it to be baby, spank
“banal”
I can’t think of a more stinging rebuke to someone with pretensions to being an artist. “Ugly”, “offensive”, “incomprehensible”, “puerile”: nope.
“Players only love you when they’re playing” — “Dreams”, Fleetwood Mac
Gawd they don’t write em like that any more, huh.
So it’s banal. Doesn’t mean it’s trivial, if it helped make the song a hit.
It seems that Taylor Swift doesn’t want to sue all the people who make memes with her picture and things she never said.
Back in the 60s, I was listening to a song whose entire lyrics consisted of ‘Hey!’
And judges gonna judge
Let's put it another way.
Somebody comes up with a song, "Playas Gon' Play" in 2001.
Over the next 17 years, you hear people saying "Playas gonna play" or "Playas gotta play" on TV, in the movies, in clubs, in classrooms, and on the street.
You could argue that it became part of the everyday language. That it became a banality or a platitude by being repeated so often.
But if the original song had been written by Elvis or the Beatles, this all might have happened differently.
The most boring looking woman on the planet
Has “Fly, robin, fly” been copyrighted, yet?
That right there is a lawyer who knows he's going to lose. The judge doesn't have to be an expert in the music business to rule on the case. The music industry itself is irrelevant to the question.
“Gawd they don’t write em like that any more, huh.”
Greg Kihn Band (Breakup Song) LOL
Back in the 60s, I was listening to a song whose entire lyrics consisted of ‘Hey!’
Are you thinking of Rock n Roll Part 2 by Gary Glitter? I think that guy is in jail for abuse of minors or something these days.
That song was released in 1972, but I am talking about 1968. I believe it was some sort of soul record.
They should have sued Gary!
Sounds right but all I can come up with is “Soul Finger”. - two words...
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