Is this plagiarism? (Update: jury says no) (2 Viewers)

[SystemShock]

A jury in New York is being asked the question of whether Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" is sufficiently similar to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" that it qualifies as copyright infringement.

First, I hate you for making me listen to Ed Sheeran.
Now, I can hear the similarity. If I were in the jury, I'd vote for plagiarism, because I can definitely smash while listening to Marvin Gaye, unlike E.D. Sheeran.

 

[Tapxe]

Reminded me of this.

 

[tenordas]

When does the copyright expire? Or doesn't it?

I was thinking about something like this the other day. I love Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" as I love the Rachmaninoff concerto it's based on. Now, it was widely known even in 1975 that it was based on that but not realizing that the composer was so contemporary that he had only died in 1943, I had always assumed it was old enough for it to be in the public domain. But then I looked it up and discovered that Carmen did indeed have to settle that issue with the composer's estate.

It's 75 years from the date the copyright is legally placed. Date of death of the composer has nothing to do with it.

 

[zeetes]

i'm not going to lie, i didn't read or watch anything past the option to vote tacoes.

i love you chuck.

 

[Zack Lee]

to say I heard any Marvin Gaye in that song would be to say I heard something good in it.

So obviously no.

 

[superchuck500]

It's 75 years from the date the copyright is legally placed. Date of death of the composer has nothing to do with it.

 

[FLIPPY]

I guess the Gaye family is liking that Pharrell Williams / Robin Thick money and is looking for more…

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I guess the Gaye family is liking that Pharrell Williams / Robin Thick money and is looking for more…

It’s not the Gaye family

 

[Madmarsha]

It's 75 years from the date the copyright is legally placed. Date of death of the composer has nothing to do with it.

My only reason for mentioning that was I didn't know Rachmaninoff died in the 20th century as opposed to the 19th, not the specific number of years since he has passed. I realize that copyright "lives on" with the estate.

 

[Yatman]

as expected, rick beato today dissected the musical similarities and differences of the songs

unexpectedly, rick already addressed this issue four years ago when legal wheels began turning

he thinks there's merit regarding the verse melody lines, which are pretty much identical

 

[Madmarsha]

 

[Grumpy Old Manatee]

So many Beatles songs…so little time (on my part)

 

[FullMonte]

Reminds me of the case where one of the members of Taurus sued Led Zeppelin for stealing a part of their song and using it in Stairway to Heaven. In short, Taurus was an opening act for Zeppelin at some of their shows, and their song "Spirit" opened with a guitar riff that is VERY similar to the opening riff of Stairway. But, in a bizarre technicality, because "Spirit" was recorded before the federal copyright laws covered digital recordings, the band could not use the recordings as evidence. They could only use the sheet music of the two songs. This led to a verdict in Led Zeppelin's favor.

Here are the two riffs for comparison:

 

[Optimus Prime]

Just saw this on the news

 

[Grumpy Old Manatee]

Just saw this on the news

I think those are 2/3 of the Brett Domino Trio

***Potential NSFW language***