Copyrighted music?

[RAMI]

You can't get sued for a riff or a chord progression. It's the melody.

 

[ecktronic]

There are a million riff rip-offs. You can't get sued for that. I think it's only if the melody of the vocals has more than 5 notes in a row with the same pitch and duration. I may be way off because I can't back that up. It's just something I think I once heard or read.

Music is art so there is no definite way of telling if a melody is too close to another melody to say its a copyright infringement. Its totally subjective and can could cost shit loads in the court rooms!
Its in the judges hands.

Eck

 

[ecktronic]

You can't get sued for a riff or a chord progression. It's the melody.

A riff is a melody though.

Eck

 

[Greg_L]

I'm suing you all.

 

[NL5]

I'm no lawyer, but from my understanding, in the US at least, the lyrics and the melody are what constitute a song. Not the chord progression or the rhythm.

 

[RAMI]

A riff is a melody though.

Eck

I'm no lawyer, but from my understanding, in the US at least, the lyrics and the melody are what constitute a song. Not the chord progression or the rhythm.

Exactly.

Eck, I don't think it's a subjective thing. I couldn't be bothered to Google it, but I'm pretty sure there are specific guidelines. Like I was saying, it's something like 5 notes in a row from the melody of the VOCALS. Now, interpreting how close 2 songs are might be subjective, but I'm pretty sure there is a formula to follow.

 

[ecktronic]

Exactly.

Eck, I don't think it's a subjective thing. I couldn't be bothered to Google it, but I'm pretty sure there are specific guidelines. Like I was saying, it's something like 5 notes in a row from the melody of the VOCALS. Now, interpreting how close 2 songs are might be subjective, but I'm pretty sure there is a formula to follow.

Yeah it can't be completely subjective but there is an element of subjectivity involved. Im interested to look this up now.

Eck