For this discussion, find a case of a copyright infringement case involving a song. You can choose the Marvin Gaye case if you are a really big fan of "Blurred Lines" or "Got to Give It Up." But so everyone does not choose the same songs, it is strongly preferable that you find another case. Whatever your favorite genre of music, you can probably find some kind of dispute, as anytime there is a big hit song it is common that other songwriters will claim their own song ideas were stolen. Another recent case involved an accusation that Sam Smith copied a song by Tom Petty. If you prefer the golden oldies, there are many famous cases, such as Chuck Berry versus the Beach Boys or a lawsuit against George Harrison alleging that he ripped off the song "He's So Fine" by the Shangri-Las. These are just a couple examples, so do some research and find a case that interests you.

Once you have found a good example, carefully listen to the two songs that were in dispute. Post the links to YouTube if videos are available to share with your classmates. Then discuss the following issues:

On first listen, what was your immediate reaction? Do the two songs sound so much alike that you are not surprised that a lawsuit was threatened or filed? Or are you puzzled that there was a dispute? Based on listening to the songs and what you read about the legal dispute, what lessons do you think you have learned about intellectual property law? Cite one of the readings from the background materials, or another article or book from Trident library on intellectual property law.