Re: A Legal Way to Steal ideas??

[kouly]

I think writing in a syle is different than ripping off. We should realize that a chord progression is not protected and i have heard many songs where the chord progression was exactly like a different song but as soon as the melody starts they go into a different direction. That is where the stealing is in the melody. I remember the Micheal Jackson case, which he won I think. To steal a melody you have to have so many notes in a row that are the same. I don't remember the figure but I dont think it is very large, something like 4 or 5 notes in a row. So you can sound the same without stealing. Once you start stealing that melody is where it becomes a problem and I think it was only about 4 notes that got MJ into court .

[arkjack]

How about the stuff you hear in hair bands and punk rock where the melody is a johnny one note over a minor power chord.... to death..... there is a line where stealing isn't stealing.... its just plain ffin noise.... I recycle my own progressions and melodies from songs I wrote all the time..... like you say if the version didn't sell take it apart and recycle.... reduce ... reuse.... ArkJack

[johnnydean1]

Quote:How about the stuff you hear in hair bands and punk rock where the melody is a johnny one note over a minor power chord.... to death..... there is a line where stealing isn't stealing.... its just plain ffin noise.... I recycle my own progressions and melodies from songs I wrote all the time..... like you say if the version didn't sell take it apart and recycle.... reduce ... reuse.... ArkJackHow can you have a minor power chord if a power chord is a root and a fifth!!!! and what do you mean johnnydean one note

[gitarrero]

hi there,well the point is the defenition on "steal" - only a copyrighted idea can be stolen, therefore only something that falls under the copyrigth.an chord progression doesn't fall under the copyright itself, for example. therefore, you're basically free to use a chord-progression from a major-hit and make an own song with it.how if your song sounds like the major hit, than you might got a problem. but if you do a diffrent arrangement, diffrent melody, lyric, rhythm etc, than it will be your song which you can copyright as such (in fact it is copyrighted when you create it, but to proove that, you usually register it).your example in the very first post here is something diffrent - letting write local musicians songs with you and than record those songs, but don't include the local musicians in the song credit, that would be an infridgement. the musicians "just" need to evidence that....cheers,Martin

[arkjack]

the johnnydean1 one note that the singer sings is the minor third......ArkJack

[edteja]

Quote:the johnnydean1 one note that the singer sings is the minor third......ArkJackHow can a note be an interval?

[musicman56us]

All I have to say if your stealing, your probably not good anyway! Being creative is part of a songwriters life. Real songwriters do steal others ideas!

[hummingbird]

Quote:Real songwriters do steal others ideas!I'm not sure if you meant to say that "real songwriters DO steal other's ideas", but if you did, I would have to vehemently disagree.H

[gitarrero]

..it's getting a little off-topic here sometimes...;)well let me just tell you that stolen ideas can turn into big, huge hassle and can cost elementary sums of money....just a few little examples:* the hit "bitter sweet symphony" by the band "the verve" had a string sample for which the copyright holders (rolling stones) gave their ok - but the verve forgot to also ask the owner of the master - well all money generated by that hit went into the pocket of the master owner - believe me, that were BIG sums...* our dear swiss dj bobo (worldwide very successfull swiss dj who also sings, dance-pop) took a melody of a michael jackson hit to write his first single "somebody dance with me" (..outch...).well, I don't want to write here the exact sum he paid to mr. jackson here (I know it) but again - it was almost the end of his career (before it really started...).* a friend of mine who is producer noticed that someone else has HIS mp3s on the homepage - and telling that it's his (the other guy) own... well that costed about 2500 $, and that was still nice...there are plenty more of such examples - a stolen song might not got discovered until it got some popularity or even be a hit - but then the "composer" of it gets in _serious_ troubles.so the rule is simply: learn what exactly is covered by the copyright law, what is allowed to do and what not - you save yourself for some major headache.cheers,Martin

[neuphoria]

i think most people know the story of all those blues guys being pissed at Dylan cuz dylan 'ripped off' a lot of blues songs, riffs, melodies, techniques, lyrics etc and claiming sole authorship on his albums without giving credit....it's also been the strategy of some musicians to "steal" to get noticed. many many electronic and hip hop artists have leveraged uncleared samples into huge careers. (from Pulbic Enemy to Fatboy Slim) you lose on the one song , but you win by getting a name. A prime example is the artist Dangermouse, who came to fame by mashing up the Beatles with Jay Z. With a million downloads, that illegal album led him to producing/writing with the Gorillaz (with Damon Alborn of Blur) and then Gnarls Barkley-- both groups have gone on to sell millions and millions, have had great critical success, and have won multiple Grammy Awards, etc.my suspicion is DJ Bobo knew exactly what he was doing.