hopkins@burdvax.UUCP (03/23/84)
The report I heard said that somebody claims he sent Jackson a song which bears an uncanny resemblence to one that Jackson then recorded as his own. He is therefore suing for theft of intellectual property, and asking for the whole farm. For those who haven't read about intellectual property, the concept protects authors prior to publication of their work, including the time when they are trying to publish or sell it. Copyright protects it after publication. George Harrison got bagged some time back on "My Sweet Lord," which is almost note-for-note "He's So Fine" (boy, am I dating myself!). The judge bought the idea of "unconscious plagiarism" and whoever held the copyright on "He's So Fine" collected a bunch of Beatle royalty money. Intent was never a question, just the effect. Sobering. Bill Hopkins (whose opinions may be less than his own)