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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Men At Work face plagiarism case | Men At Work face plagiarism case |
| (4 days later) | |
| A music publisher that says Australian band Men At Work stole a melody from a children's song in hit Down Under has won the first stage of a court battle. | A music publisher that says Australian band Men At Work stole a melody from a children's song in hit Down Under has won the first stage of a court battle. |
| Larrikin claims the flute riff from the 1981 hit is stolen from Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree, written by Marion Sinclair for the Girl Guides in 1934. | Larrikin claims the flute riff from the 1981 hit is stolen from Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree, written by Marion Sinclair for the Girl Guides in 1934. |
| The band disputed Larrikin's claim that it bought the song's copyright in 1990. | The band disputed Larrikin's claim that it bought the song's copyright in 1990. |
| But a judge in Sydney has ruled that the publisher does own the song, clearing the way for a plagiarism case. | But a judge in Sydney has ruled that the publisher does own the song, clearing the way for a plagiarism case. |
| Larrikin Music is suing Sony BMG and EMI for breach of copyright and is seeking royalties from the hit 80s song. | Larrikin Music is suing Sony BMG and EMI for breach of copyright and is seeking royalties from the hit 80s song. |
| The publisher began the action after the alleged similarities were pointed out in a music quiz programme shown in Australia in 2007. | The publisher began the action after the alleged similarities were pointed out in a music quiz programme shown in Australia in 2007. |
| I said do you speak my language, he just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8178913.stm">Drugs and Dame Edna: The lyrics decoded | |
| Lawyers for the record companies have denied the plagiarism claim. | Lawyers for the record companies have denied the plagiarism claim. |
| They had also argued that the Kookaburra copyright was never properly signed over by Sinclair - who died in 1988 - and still belonged to the Girl Guides movement. | They had also argued that the Kookaburra copyright was never properly signed over by Sinclair - who died in 1988 - and still belonged to the Girl Guides movement. |
| No date has been set for the next hearing. | No date has been set for the next hearing. |
| Down Under, a number one in Australia, the US and the UK, tells the story of an Australian backpacker touring the world. | Down Under, a number one in Australia, the US and the UK, tells the story of an Australian backpacker touring the world. |
| It pays tribute to "a land down under where beer does flow and men chunder". | It pays tribute to "a land down under where beer does flow and men chunder". |
| The song also references popular Australian food spread Vegemite. | The song also references popular Australian food spread Vegemite. |
| "I said 'do you speak my language?', he just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich," it says. | "I said 'do you speak my language?', he just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich," it says. |