70-year-old grandmother suing Eminem for copyright infringement

[Wonk]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/harlene1.html

(snip)

In a federal court lawsuit filed last month, Harlene Stein alleges that the rap star (real name: Marshall Mathers) used a piece of one of her husband Ronald's compositions on "Guilty Conscience," a cut from the rapper's acclaimed 1999 debut "The Slim Shady LP." The Stein instrumental composition at the lawsuit's center is titled "Pigs Go Home" and is part of his score for Getting Straight, a 1970 film starring Elliott Gould and Candice Bergen (what's next, 50 Cent sampling "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" from Yentl?).

[Richardo]

1. GIT 'em, Harlene!! HAHAHAHAHA!

Sample THIS, Marshall!

[ronnykmarshall]

2. Go Granny, go!!

Sue the shit out of him!

[VermontDem2004]

3. Unless they know each other

this case has a point, if they don't know each other she is just trying to get $$ or it is merely a coincidince.

[dfong63]

4. sometimes, the judgments are amazing

the courts sometimes find "musical infringement" where it sure ain't obvious to this listener. i wouldn't go so far as to say the courts were wrong, but i will go so far as to say i don't think that every verdict, let alone every accusation, implies wrongdoing on the part of the artist. every piece of music you hear might influence you or inspire you. where do you draw the line between that, and infringement?

[Richardo]

5. Sorry but if you're sampling without attribution, you're plagiarizing...

that's not an "influence". It's COPYING.

Richardo the Curmudgeon: "And it doesn't take any talent, either."

[einsteins stein]

6. Inspiration is one thing

and I agree with you on that point of musical influences, but sampling is another critter altogether.

If any person lifts a melody directly from one song, drops it into another song, and doesn't get permission or even credit the author, its plaigarism.

Sue him, prove it, and collect.

[AntiBushRepub]

7. you'd think...

....that his producers would know better than that.....to not give credit to the lady if they sampled it.

But hey, NBC did it to Rabbit in the Moon and had to pay 3/4 mil.

If a huge network would try it, I guess a rap studio would...

-An