Aaliyahs uncle says Normani should have asked for permission
- Thread starter Rhapscallion Démone
- Start date
Wear My Dawg's Hat
Superstar
The drum pattern is similar but not the same as One In A Million.
Plus, drum patterns are too common in popular music to be protected legally. Everybody would be suing one another if that was allowed.
Keyboard chords/progressions also aren't the same. Lyrics, chords, melodies, progressions are the protected aspects of songwriting (see "Blurred Lines" case).
Hard to see where there would be be a legal claim here, but you never know.
Copyright a Drumbeat?
So the real question we need to ask: are drumbeats considered songwriting? If they are, then they form part of the musical composition and would be protected under the law just like a chord progression, melody or lyric.
The short answer:
unfortunately, no. Drumbeats and drum patterns are not typically considered songwriting – it’s not typical to copyright a drumbeat. The law makes clear that lyrics, melody, harmony, and rhythm can be copyrighted. Most often, lyrics and melody are afforded protection under the law before the other two. This is arguable because the latter two are considered “accompaniment,” while the first two form the backbone of the composition, and remain consistent regardless of who is performing the composition.
This is actually a good thing in many ways. If every drumbeat was considered songwriting, the Bonham ‘Levee’ beat, the Bo Diddly groove, the ‘We Will Rock You’ stomp, even the standard four-on-the-floor pattern would all exist in only one song, and if you emulated any of them in a new song, you could be sued for plagiarism.
Copyright a Drumbeat? Drum patterns and songwriting
Plus, drum patterns are too common in popular music to be protected legally. Everybody would be suing one another if that was allowed.
Keyboard chords/progressions also aren't the same. Lyrics, chords, melodies, progressions are the protected aspects of songwriting (see "Blurred Lines" case).
Hard to see where there would be be a legal claim here, but you never know.
Copyright a Drumbeat?
So the real question we need to ask: are drumbeats considered songwriting? If they are, then they form part of the musical composition and would be protected under the law just like a chord progression, melody or lyric.
The short answer:
unfortunately, no. Drumbeats and drum patterns are not typically considered songwriting – it’s not typical to copyright a drumbeat. The law makes clear that lyrics, melody, harmony, and rhythm can be copyrighted. Most often, lyrics and melody are afforded protection under the law before the other two. This is arguable because the latter two are considered “accompaniment,” while the first two form the backbone of the composition, and remain consistent regardless of who is performing the composition.
This is actually a good thing in many ways. If every drumbeat was considered songwriting, the Bonham ‘Levee’ beat, the Bo Diddly groove, the ‘We Will Rock You’ stomp, even the standard four-on-the-floor pattern would all exist in only one song, and if you emulated any of them in a new song, you could be sued for plagiarism.
Copyright a Drumbeat? Drum patterns and songwriting
Artificial Intelligence
Not Allen Iverson
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Wear My Dawg's Hat
Superstar
Even Led Zeppelin/John Bonham used 4/4 beats common to other songs (Rock N Roll).
If they tried to sue over a drum beat, they would then be sued right back by many, many others.
This is not about sampling a Led Zeppelin record for a drum sound (infringement on the master recording).
The point is that drum beats alone are not copyright protected if replayed.
Tribal Outkast
Veteran
All that went out the window after the Robin Thicke lawsuit lol. They said his song felt like Marvin’s song and they won lol. If I heard this song without knowing the story I’d think they asked for permission to sample Aaliyahs song
Devil Plisken…CMS
Veteran
I like the song
Wear My Dawg's Hat
Superstar
Here's the thing: The Blurred Lines lawsuit was largely decided on a sheet music comparison between it and "Got To Give It Up."
In fact, the Gaye family wasn't allowed to play the actual "Got To Give It Up" recording at trial because it included too many unprotected elements, including the percussion/beat.
"The Gaye estate lawyers later claimed that testimony on Thicke’s side had “poisoned perhaps irreparably” the jury, according to The Hollywood Reporter. While Thicke was able to perform the songs, the Gayes were not allowed to play the recorded version of “Got to Give It Up” since the copyright they were defending applied to sheet music. The judge claimed that Gaye’s voice, the version’s backup vocals and some of the percussion – all of which are not covered by copyright – could sway the jury; eventually, they were allowed to play a stripped-down version of the tune."
Robin Thicke and Pharrell Lose 'Blurred Lines' Lawsuit
RennisDeynolds
I am untethered and my rage knows no bounds!
Take it to her label not Normani
Just watched the wild side vid and that song sounds nothing like one in a million...... The most they could vouch for is the high hats sounding similar but not really....
Also that vid is fire... Song was good until the Cardi B part....
Also that vid is fire... Song was good until the Cardi B part....
They keep saying it wasn't "sampled directly" which tells me they know they used parts, used their own to re-create the sound or some other shyt that's not a direct sample. Maybe an Aaliyah sample off of a different song that was cleared. I don't know.
You can tell her song was inspired by aaliyah. But it's trash compared to aaliyahs
Low End Derrick
Veteran
Yeah, that's a pastiche of One in a Million.
If Pharrell n em had to pay up, then Normani will have to.
If Pharrell n em had to pay up, then Normani will have to.Dameon Farrow
Superstar
that was an obvious attempt to get away with using a sample without clearing but you're not wrong
I find it mindboggling that artist and labels think they can get away either no clearing samples without anyone realizing. Just because Timb likes the song doesn’t mean that him nor Missy won’t come asking for a cut of the profits lol.
xXOGLEGENDXx
Superstar
Say you don't know what sampling means without saying you don't know what sampling means brehs
That is the point of sampling. Creating a different song. You can clearly hear the drum pattern sampled and a few chord progressions