illegal samples

Die Mensch Maschine got rebuffed by a court in Germany, which told electronica pioneers Kraftwerk that Moses Pelham did not violate their copyrights by using an unauthorized sample of one of their songs, Metal on Metal, in one of his productions.

The ruling overturns an earlier decision against Pelham.

Judges in Berlin said the two second extract did not infringe copyright, as Pelham’s song was substantially different.

While the decision is a victory for people that want to creatively remix and recycle culture, it also increases the likelihood that Kraftwerk’s songs, or your songs, are going to be used as the backing track for a lame, derivative hip-hop track. 

What do you think of this decision?

via BBC

Image: yamchild