Plagiarism Archives

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...

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 Will Bennett | 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...

Writ Parade: Why American songwriters are suing each other

by admin | Jun 4, 2021 | Copyright, Forensic Musicology, Plagiarism, Popular Music, Songwriting

The case against Childish Gambino is the latest in a run of copyright claims Article + interview with Joe Bennett. Words: Tom Wainwright. Originally published in The Economist, 15 May 2021. “You motherfuckers owe me!” raps Donald Glover, better known as...

Did Childish Gambino plagiarize in “This Is America”? [answer: no]

by Joe Bennett | May 19, 2021 | Copyright, Forensic Musicology, musicology, Plagiarism, Popular Music, Songwriting

Betteridge’s law famously states that “Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no”. And so, in the spirit of good blogging and the avoidance of cheap clickbait, I have answered my own question in the title of this post....

Did Lana Del Rey copy Radiohead?

by Joe Bennett | Jan 9, 2018 | Copyright, musicology, Plagiarism, Popular Music, Songwriting

This week, Lana Del Rey stated that she is being sued for copying Radiohead’s 1992 song Creep in her 2017 release, Get Free. It’s true about the lawsuit. Although I know my song wasn’t inspired by Creep, Radiohead feel it was and want 100% of the publishing...

« Older Entries