Hi everyone,

Get ready to dive into a captivating topic that has been making waves in the music industry lately. You know those moments when you stumble upon a familiar tune, and it feels like a blast from the past? Well, imagine that feeling amplified as it sparks a legal battle over copyright infringement.

In this edition, we'll be exploring the intriguing world of copyright in music and why there has been a surge in high-profile trials capturing our attention. We’ll also talk about the time Pablo Picasso helped (indirectly) Paul McCartney and Kanye West produce a song.

🗞️ Music Industry News

What Ed Sheeran’s Copyright legal battle means for the industry

In May, a major case involving Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” and Marvin Gaye's legendary hit, "Let’s Get It On" gained a lot of media attention. The British pop singer even brought his guitar to trial to prove his innocence.

🔍️ Heightened Awareness and Scrutiny

Advancements in technology and digital platforms have made it easier to identify and compare musical compositions. With access to vast music libraries and tools for audio analysis, it has become simpler to detect potential similarities between songs. This heightened awareness, combined with the growing prevalence of music sampling and interpolation, has led to increased scrutiny and more copyright infringement claims being brought to light.

🤑 Precedent Setting Cases (with again Marvin Gaye)

In recent years, several copyright infringement cases have set important precedents and raised awareness of the issue. These trials have received significant media attention, leading to a domino effect where artists and rights holders are more inclined to pursue legal action to protect their intellectual property. Such cases include Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams' "Blurred Lines" trial - with another Marvin Gaye song - which resulted in a substantial judgment against them for copyright infringement. They were forced to pay $5.3 million and half of the song royalties as a result. Other major pop artists such as Dua Lipa, BTS, Childish Gambino or Drake were involved in copyright cases.

💡 Impact on creativity and the Evolving Definition of Originality

The question of whether two songs sound similar or share common elements can be subjective and open to debate. In Ed Sheeran’s case, the federal court determined that he created the song independently. Whether you like Ed Sheeran’s music or not, the result of the trial was great for the industry and for artists. If he had been charged guilty, any songwriter could have been sued if the final song resulted in a familiar combination of notes, especially considering you can already play more than 70 songs with the same 4 chords. As the music industry evolves and genres continue to blend, determining the boundaries of originality becomes more challenging. This debate also raises the question of inspiration and the line between artistic influence and unauthorised replication.

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🎨 From Pablo (Picasso) to Saint Pablo

The copyrighting issue brings to mind a memorable story from 2014, where the music world witnessed an unexpected collaboration between two iconic artists: Paul McCartney and Kanye West. Picture this: they're sitting in a studio, swapping stories and making music. Little did they know that these casual chats would lead to not one, not two, but three chart-topping collaborations: “FourFiveSeconds”, “Only One”, and ”All Day”.

In one particular session, McCartney mentioned a Picasso painting called "The Guitarist" and wondered about the chords the character in the painting might be playing. He played a few chords, unintentionally creating a heartfelt ballad but unsure of what to do with it.

Months later, Kanye West sent McCartney the song “All Day”. To McCartney's surprise, his guitar riff became the foundation of a rap song. Although the guitar itself faded into the background, its melodic essence remained, enhanced by autotune and powerful bass samples.

The beauty of this collaboration lies in its unlikely origins. Picasso couldn't claim credit or seek legal battles over this song, but the lesson is clear: inspiration can come from anywhere. While Picasso paintings may not surround us daily, the world holds countless untapped sources of creativity.

Stay alert, you never know where your next burst of inspiration may originate. It may can come from one of the songs I share with you in the playlist below. It’s regularly updated with the best releases of the last few months.

Thank you for reading and have a great day ☀️