Prince ever copied someone
else's song without permission?
any song you heard that sound to you
like more then just a inspiration.
I know Some italy composers sued Prince
for alleged plagiarism of The Most Beautiful Girl and they won
any other examples?

p.s. please don't say Kiss intro because it's more of a tribute then stealing.

You'd have to be an idiot to not see the obvious similarities...

the only similarity is 12 bar blues progression
used in so many songs .
Many songs have similar chord progressions ,
yet what makes them distinctive is melody .
vocal melody is different
[Edited 2/16/10 17:17pm]

thebanishedone said:

I don't think Prince has ever been guilty of plagiarism - its astounding that so many people try to make this accusastion against one of the most accomplished songwriters we've ever had! its just ludicrous.

by the way, the italians haven't won that case at all. they originally lost, but have now had an appeal approved and it still needs to get another approval from another judge. have you actually heard the song in question? its ridiculous that the case is even being brought, let alone heard! and, if it is succesful, then any artist should be rightfully shitting themselves, cos it seems if you wrote a chorus with a simple 3-note melody, then you're in the firing line.

there are thousands of songs with similarities and the fact its taken 15 years to find someone who agrees that Takin Me to Paradise was plagiarised by Prince tells you all you need to know!

Let's go with "borrowed heavily". As mention above, "Kiss". Plus "Girl 6" and "Raspberry Beret" off the top of my head.

I think The Most Beautiful Girl In The World was accused for plagiarism in Italy last year/ not so long ago.

http://www.billboard.com/...9092.story


Jan. 09. 2009.

An Italian court has ruled that Prince's 1994 hit "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" was plagiarized from a song by two Italian writers. However, it could take several years for a definitive ruling in the case, which has already dragged on since the 1990s.

According to a sentence handed down by the Court of Appeal in Rome, the song borrowed heavily from "Takin' Me to Paradise," written by Bruno Bergonzi and Michele Vicino.

Under the ruling, Prince must stop distributing the song on Italian territory. He also faces having to pay the royalties he has so far accumulated to Bergonzi and Vicino and their publishers, but only if a final hearing confirms the Italian songwriting duo was plagiarized.

"Our song was first released in 1983, at the height of the Italian dance boom and it appeared on assorted compilations that were distributed internationally," Bergonzi tells Billboard.com. "When we first heard Prince's song we immediately took action, but this case has been dragging on for 15 years and it isn't over yet, such is the slowness of the Italian legal system. We only decided to go public with our story now."

The ruling is in fact an appeal against the original sentence, which, in 2003, rejected Bergonzi and Vicino's claim. This latest ruling was actually made in December 2007 and registered on Feb. 11 last year, but Bergonzi and Vicino have only now spoken out.

For a sentence to become definitive in Italy, a "third degree" ruling is necessary and this could take several more years.

When the case began, publishing for both sides in Italy was handled by Warner/Chappell, in the form of Fortissimo (on behalf of Controversy Music) for Prince, and Chappell for Bergonzi and Vicino. However, Controversy Music and Prince are now represented by Universal Music Publishing.

"We are waiting to see the outcome of the third and final sentence," Universal Music Publishing Italy managing director Claudio Buja tells Billboard.com. "We're wary of making a comment at this stage, but I can say that plagiarism cases are invariably delicate and difficult."

Spokespeople for Prince and Warner/Chappell Italy could not be reached for comment.
[Edited 2/16/10 20:40pm]

Compare Eddie Hazel's song Frantic Moment with Prince's Do Me Baby.

Compare Eric Burdon's Spill the wine with the chorus of My Medallion.

Compare Barry Manilow's Could it be magic with Planet earth.

Compare The Beatles Back in the USSR with Guitar.

Compare The Guess Who's American Woman with Redhead Stepchild.

Compare a dozen disco funk tracks with Chelsea Rodgers.
[Edited 2/16/10 20:45pm]

There is a fine line between influence and plagarism.

I think Cream is heavily influenced by Marc Bolan's Get it on for example, but plagarism - I don't think so.

Swa

Swa said:

listen to Laid Back's White Horse for the 'inspiration' for Erotic City.

The worst one for me is Girl 6 as mentioned above. That's shocking.

Erik

ludwig said:

yeah, that middle portion of the songs is almost an identical copy of the song

erik319 said:

Prince credited Tommy Barbarella on Girl 6, so he took the fall.

Girl 6 is ripoff of which song?

thebanishedone said:

A song called Phone Sex. Youtube site: http://www.youtube.com/wa...UF1VWUBIO4
Obviously the sound has been removed :eyeroll: , but you can do a Google search: "phone sex prince girl 6" the second (Yahoo)video result is the comparison in question.