Coldplay And Satriani Settle Copyright Lawsuit

Way back in December 2008 we reported on Joe Satriani’s lawsuit against Coldplay, claiming that their title song “Viva La Vida” was plagiarized from an instrumental he composed in 2004, entitled “If I could Fly.”

Well, looks like the guitar hero versus the British rockers copyright dust-up is kaput; Satriani’s lawsuit alleging copyright infringement has been dismissed. Billboard reported earlier that details of the case remain sealed, but a financial settlement between the two parties may have been reached. Coldplay will not be required to admit to any wrongdoing.

“I felt like a dagger went right through my heart. It hurt so much,” Satriani told website Music Radar at the time . “The second I heard it, I knew it was [my own] ‘If I Could Fly’.

“Almost immediately, from the minute their song came out, my e-mail box flooded with people going, ‘Have you heard this song by Coldplay? They ripped you off man.’ I mean, I couldn’t tell you how many e-mails I received. Everybody noticed the similarities between the songs. It’s pretty obvious.”

Following the accusations, Coldplay pretty much ignored Satriani’s charges of plagiarism, happy to play it cool. They later would release a statement:

“If there are any similarities between our two pieces of music, they are entirely coincidental, and just as surprising to us as to him.”

So while we don’t get a rock n’ roll court case it looks as if Satriani made some money in the end. There have been reports that the lawsuit was dismissed at California’s Central District Court “upon stipulation,” which means that financial settlement is probably true.

According to NME, Judge Dean Pregerson decreed that both the parties bear their own trial costs as the case was closed.

For Coldplay, the Satriani issue was just the start of their copyright woes.

In May of this year, Yusuf Islam, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, charged that the melody of “Viva La Vida” is a direct take-off from his 1973 tune “Foreigner Suite,” which clocks in at 18-minutes. He would later absolve the band for their possible transgressions.

We cannot know for sure if Coldplay did or did not knowingly rip off Satriani; it’s left as an unsolved mystery we can only wonder about. But it’s a win for Coldplay not having to admit any wrongdoing helps bolster their case moving forward. The band are said to be working on their new album, the follow-up to Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, so here’s hoping they avoid anymore copyright problems.

Do you think Coldplay ripped off Joe Satriani?