#518195 - 10/03/05 11:02 AM
Gwen Stefani, Copyright Violator?
|
realtrance
Platinum Member
Registered: 02/04/02
Posts: 1247
Loc: Coyote Country
|
Offline
|
|
Hi,
Something I've been a little curious about for awhile: on Gwen Stefani's latest album there is a direct use of a song from the musical, "Fiddler on the Roof," "If I were a Rich Man."
Yet there is not any attribution, anywhere, on the CD, indicating license of use of this song.
Is this an outright copyright violation? And if not, why not? And if a major record label can record and sell re-use of a song without any attribution to the original copyright owner, what is to prevent anyone else from doing same, with this precedent established?
Thanks,
rt
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#518196 - 10/03/05 04:47 PM
Re: Gwen Stefani, Copyright Violator?
|
RicBassGuy
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 02/02/05
Posts: 3651
Loc: Metro Detroit, MI
|
|
Offline
|
|
Heya rt,
Yeah, my wife has that cd, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. You're talking about track #2, Rich Girl.
So, yeah, it's pretty obvious that she's borrowed from If I Were A Rich Man from the musical Fiddler on the Roof. Now, did she borrow a copyrighted recording? No, she made her own recording. Did she borrow a copyrighted composition?
Well, who holds the songwriter copyright for Fiddler?
But wait, this may all be moot, as you have to ask how much did she borrow? Is there a limit to how much you can borrow before it is truly stealing?
Well, I'm not up on copyright law myself, but the friendly people over in the Biz forum may know better. In fact, a search there may turn up something interesting. (Even a search here turns up some good reads.)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#518197 - 10/03/05 05:11 PM
Re: Gwen Stefani, Copyright Violator?
|
RicBassGuy
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 02/02/05
Posts: 3651
Loc: Metro Detroit, MI
|
|
Offline
|
|
Actually, looking at The Amazon listing for a 1971 recording of Fiddler, it lists the composers as Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. If you search for Rich Girl on the US copyright site , you find 3 registration numbers, one of which (PA-1-277-433) lists Bock and Sheldon as authors. Thus she has properly included them in her derivative work.
Now, does that excuse her for not mentioning anything on the cd liner?
(Er, the link is to a 2001 rerelease of the 71 soundtrack.)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#518198 - 10/03/05 11:24 PM
Re: Gwen Stefani, Copyright Violator?
|
nursers
10k Club
Registered: 03/31/01
Posts: 10135
Loc: Australia
|
|
Offline
|
|
Well, my understaing is that album credits are a nicety rather than a necessity. Could be wrong though...
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#518200 - 10/27/05 06:55 AM
Re: Gwen Stefani, Copyright Violator?
|
DLovesBass
Member
Registered: 04/09/05
Posts: 1
Loc: Dallas (Transplanted Detroiter...
|
|
Offline
|
|
Interesting
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#518201 - 10/30/05 03:59 AM
Re: Gwen Stefani, Copyright Violator?
|
Swed_bass
Senior Member
Registered: 10/30/05
Posts: 230
Loc: Sweden
|
|
Offline
|
|
Hello,
I read here in the Swedish papares that Madonna had to pay dearly to the ABBA composers to use melody bits of "Gimme Gimme" in her song "Hung Up". Here an article from U.K. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4354028.stm
_________________________
What ever...
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#518202 - 10/30/05 10:40 AM
Re: Gwen Stefani, Copyright Violator?
|
RicBassGuy
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 02/02/05
Posts: 3651
Loc: Metro Detroit, MI
|
|
Offline
|
|
Thanks for the link, Swed_bass, and welcome to the forum! 
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Moderator: nursers
|
|
|
