Copyright Archives

Joe Bennett on CNN: Did Ed Sheeran plagiarize? [no, and here’s why]

by admin | Apr 30, 2023 | Copyright, Education, Forensic Musicology

Host Victor Blackwell interviews Professor Joe Bennett. CNN news, Sunday April 30, 2023 Introduction Blackwell: Ed sheeran played to an intimate crowd in New York on Friday: a jury in a Manhattan courtroom. They will decide whether he copied Marvin Gaye’s...

Did Mariah Carey plagiarise “All I Want For Christmas Is You”? (answer: no)

by Joe Bennett | Jun 6, 2022 | Copyright, Forensic Musicology, Songwriting

Mariah Carey performs at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony in New York in 2014: Photo: Charles Sykes/AP via The Guardian Another week, another spurious music copyright infringement lawsuit. On Friday, Mariah Carey and co-writer Walter Afanasieff...

Joe Bennett interview (BBC): Ed Sheeran court case

by Joe Bennett | Apr 12, 2022 | Copyright, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Plagiarism, Popular Music, Songwriting

Watch on YouTube Interview with Professor Joe Bennett (Forensic Musicologist / Berklee College Of Music) discussing the Ed Sheeran “Shape Of You” verdict in the UK high court. Interview date: April 10, 2022 BBC World Service: World Business Report...

JB interview – Ed Sheeran’s copyright case win

by admin | Apr 7, 2022 | Copyright, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Popular Music, Songwriting

Analysis: plagiarism row between Ed Sheeran and Sami Chokri is latest in surge of lawsuits against musicians [JB comment – I was interviewed by The Guardian regarding the (IMO appropriate) outcome of the Ed Sheeran ‘Shape Of You’ 2022 case. Here’s an excerpt from...

Did Dua Lipa copy from Artikal Sound System? [no]

by Joe Bennett | Mar 5, 2022 | Copyright, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Plagiarism, Popular Music, Songwriting

I was interviewed by Rolling Stone this week about the Dua Lipa complaint that was filed in LA on Wednesday. Yes I *know* these 6-beat fragments are incredibly similar, but similarity is not the same as copying. I maintain that this is probably a coincidence (whatever...

Olivia Rodrigo: song similarities

by admin | Sep 22, 2021 | Copyright, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Plagiarism, Popular Music, Songwriting

[JB note: I’m pleased to welcome my friend and colleague Will Bennett as a guest blogger. Will (no relation) is a PhD musicology researcher at Harvard, and also a valued member of the JBMS consultancy team. I asked him a couple of weeks ago what he thought of...

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