September 16th, 2009 at 2:02 PM

We Still Don’t Know Whether Coldplay Settled With Joe Satriani

coldplay

It looks like the legal battle between rock’s most famous, least interesting band (Coldplay) and rock guitar stalwart Joe Satriani is over. As you may remember, last year the latter sued the former for stealing “substantial, original portions” of his song “If I Could Fly” for the title track of their album Viva la Vida. And Coldplay (who would do well to think about pots, kettles and relative degrees of blackness) hit back by claiming, in court papers, that “If I Could Fly” doesn’t deserve copyright protection because the song “lacks originality.”

Unfortunately, this potentially entertaining squabble won’t be decided by the courts. It seems the two parties have reached a settlement, which may or may not include Coldplay providing Satriani with financial compensation. We do know that the guitarist is not requiring the band to admit they were in the wrong, and, of course, no one is commenting further.

So, kids, what’s the moral of this story? Everyone could benefit from some more originality in their lives. How ’bout we stop recycling the same guitar riffs ad nauseam, and then no one will have to worried about getting sued. Oh yes, and I imagine that will make the music better, too…

By Judy Berman

Filed under Featured Posts, News

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Comments

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  1. September 16th, 2009 at 2:07 PM { # }

    E.J. Wolborsky said:

    Hey, “Shredder” Berman! When was the last time you whipped up some original guitar riffs, anyway? As the Beastie Boys once sagely advised, “There’s only twelve notes that a man can play!”

    ;-)

  2. September 16th, 2009 at 2:07 PM { # }

    Judy Berman said:

    Ooh, do we have a Coldplay fan in the audience? I don’t do the guitar riffs, but then, I was never a chart-topping international super-band, either.

March 19th, 2010 at 9:43 PM