Advanced Legal Studies @ Westminster: Entertainment and Sports Law Journal

New issue of Entertainment and Sports Law Journal published, see notice on this blog which takes you to the issue itself Advanced Legal Studies @ Westminster: Entertainment and Sports Law Journal

Men at Work

This is my first (ever) post, so hopefully it will be of interest to some. For those of you with a taste for Aussie pop from the 80s, the following might ring a few bells. If you're hoping for a bit of Kylie, you'll be disappointed; but if you like the slightly earthier sounds of Men at Work, you may be surprised to learn that they have been found by the Federal Court of Australia to have pinched part of the tune for 'Down Under' from the well-known camp fire round 'Kookaburra sits in the old gumtree'. Although consisting of only 4 bars, the Judge felt that this was such an integral part of the tune of 'Down UNder' that it could require 60% of all earnings from the song to be paid to the Claimant. Although nowhere near as obvious as the Verve's use of The Andrew Oldham Orcehstra's version of The Rolling Stones' 'The Last Time' on 'Bittersweet Symphony' it could ultimately prove just as costly. The more musical amongst you will be able to hum along to both songs, the music of which is contained in the judgment:

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/FCA/2010/29.html