Lavigne's 'Girlfriend' a Rip-Off? You Decide
Pop music star Avril Lavigne is being sued by the writers of the 1979 song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," who claim that Lavigne's song "Girlfriend" is a rip-off of their tune. We detail the requirements for a successful copyright infringement case and play clips of each song.
MADELEINE BRAND, host:
Back now with DAY TO DAY.
(Soundbite of song, "Girlfriend")
Ms. AVRIL RAMONA LAVIGNE WHIBLEY (Singer): (Singing) Hey! Hey! You! You! I don't like your girlfriend! No way! No way! I think you need a new one...
BRAND: Hey you, Avril Lavigne is being sued for copyright infringement for her song "Girlfriend" by the writers of "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend."
(Soundbite of song, "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend")
THE RUBINOOS (Pop Band): (Singing) Hey you, I wanna be your boyfriend. Trying to say I wanna be your number one.
BRAND: That's the song from 1979 by The Rubinoos, and yeah, they sound pretty similar. But the songs have to go through a more scientific assessment, says Don Gorder. He's a professor at the Berkley College of Music.
Professor DON GORDER (Berkeley College of Music): They do a major dissection - sometimes note-for-note or measure-for-measure, to either prove similarity or non-similarity.
BRAND: They also have to prove other things, like whether Avril Lavigne had ever heard or had access to The Rubinoos song. Most copyright infringement cases gets settled out-of-court, but...
(Soundbite of song, "My Sweet Lord")
Mr. GEORGE HARRISON (Singer): (Singing) My sweet lord. I really want to see you. Really want to see you...
BRAND: George Harrison wasn't so lucky. He was sued in 1971 for similarities between "My Sweet Lord" and a song by The Chiffons.
(Soundbite of song, "He's So Fine")
THE CHIFFONS (Singers): (Singing) Do-lang-do-lang-do-lang, makes me wonder if I, do-lang-do-lang-do-lang, should even give him a try. Do-lang-do-lang-do-lang But then I really can't shy. Do-lang-do-lang-do-lang. He can't shy away forever...
BRAND: The Chiffons won their case and Harrison has to pay them royalties. In the case of "Boyfriend" versus "Girlfriend," Avril Lavigne isn't backing down. You be the judge.
(Soundbite of song, "Girlfriend")
Ms. LAVIGNE: (Singing) Hey! Hey! You! You! I know that you like me. No way! No way! You know it's not a secret. Hey! Hey! You! You!
(Soundbite of song, "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend")
THE RUBINOOS: (Singing) You or do you really have a thing for me. Like I think I see when I see you smile. And the smile's for me, I wanna tell you. Hey you, I wanna be your boyfriend. Trying to say I wanna be your number one. Hey you, I wanna be your boyfriend. Gonna make you love me before I'm done...
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