Viva La Vida
Coldplay’s huge 2008 hit “Viva La Vida” came a little too close to the original “If I Could Fly” track by Joe Santriani. In his lawsuit, Santriana claimed that his 2004 track had substantial portions used by Coldplay in creating their hit track. According to the band, the use of his lyrics and beats was entirely coincidental, which is often the case with many artists who are accused of ripping off other songs and tracks. A settlement followed at a later date, and the band paid Santriani an undisclosed amount. Suffice to say that the band did not have to apologize to the original artist, as the undisclosed amount they paid may be considered an admission of guilt.
It is not uncommon for bands and singers to use old songs for inspiration to develop new music. However, in many cases these new artists seem to go a little too far, and they rip off old songs completely in order to benefit themselves. When this is the case, the original composer and songwriter make a claim against newer artists for use of their songs without prior consent. These were some of the most well known songs in recent history to be used without the consent of the original composer and songwriter, which eventually led to settlements in copyright infringement cases.
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