Music copyright infringements fall into three different categories; Decided, Settled and cases In the media. To view cases on our website select from the list below or filter by category.
> Filter by • Decided • Settled • In the media
Eight Mile Style LLC and others vs New Zealand National Party and others
2017 • Decided • New Zealand High Court, Wellington Registry
Claimant Work: Lose Yourself
Defendant Work: Eminem Esque
In 2014 the New Zealand National Party ran a TV advertising campaign for the election that year, using a track called Eminem Esque, licensed from a production music library. The ad aired several times in August 2014 and after media commentary suggesting similarities with Eminem's song Lose Yourself, the party replaced the music in the ad.
Warner Chappell Music Ltd vs EMI Music Publishing Ltd
2018 • Settled •
Claimant Work: Creep
Defendant Work: Get Free
US singer songwriter Lana Del Rey tweeted confirmation on 7 January 2018 that there was a "lawsuit" against her song Get Free on behalf of Radiohead's song Creep, giving details of negotiations around a share of publishing royalties.
Right Said Fred vs Taylor Swift
2017 • Settled • England and Wales
Claimant Work: I'm Too Sexy
Defendant Work: Look What You Made Me Do
Rolling Stone Magazine reported in August 2017 that Right Said Fred had settled terms with Taylor Swift for using elements of their song I'm Too Sexy in her new song Look What You Made Me Do.
Carey and Golden vs Sheeran, Hill, McGraw and others
2018 • Settled • New York, USA
Claimant Work: When I Found You
Defendant Work: The Rest Of Our Life
Ed Sheeran, as co-writer of a song for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, has been named as a defendant on 10 January 2018 in a new case to emerge, claiming copyright infringement of the country music duet The Rest Of Our Life against Jasmine Rae's 2015 song When I Found You.
Rose vs Hewson / Evans / Clayton / Mullen Jr
2018 • Decided • New York, USA
Claimant Work: Nae Slappin'
Defendant Work: The Fly
English musician and songwriter wrote and released his song Nae Slappin' on a 1992 album called Homework. The song was originally written in 1989 and a demo recording was sent to Island Records. U2 recorded their song The Fly in 1990, completing it in 1991 and releasing it in October of that year, the first single from their Achtung Baby album.
May vs Miley Cyrus, Sony Music and others
2018 • In the media • New York, USA, Southern District
Claimant Work: We Run Things
Defendant Work: We Can't Stop
An action was brought against Miley Cyrus, her co-writers, publisher and record label in March 2018 claiming that her song We Can't Stop infringed the copyright in We Run Things a 1988 song by the artist Flourgon, a pseudonym of writer and performer Michael May.
The Estate of Randy Wolfe vs Led Zeppelin / Warner Chappell Music, Inc
2020 • Decided • USA, Los Angeles
Claimant Work: Taurus
Defendant Work: Stairway to Heaven
US prog rock band Spirit wrote an instrumental song called Taurus in 1967. It was recorded and released in 1968. In that year and in 1969 Led Zeppelin played four concerts with Taurus. Led Zeppelin wrote and recorded Stairway to Heaven in 1971 and it was released the same year. In 2014 legal proceedings were commenced by lawyers representing Taurus songwriter Randy California, claiming that Stairway To Heaven infringed Taurus.
Chokri and others vs Sheeran and others
2022 • Decided • UK
Claimant Work: Oh Why
Defendant Work: Shape Of You
Another case was brought against Ed Sheeran in 2018, claiming that his song Shape Of You copied an earlier song by Sami Switch called Oh Why.