Saturday, July 20, 2013

Can’t Buy Me Love? A Lawsuit Debates It; New York Times, 7/15/13

Eric Grode, New York Times; Can’t Buy Me Love? A Lawsuit Debates It: "This time, however, the bad blood extends to the courthouse, where one Beatles tribute band is in the curious position of defending itself against copyright infringement claims leveled by another Beatles tribute band. The creators of the Beatles tribute show “Rain,” which played on Broadway for nine months in 2010 and 2011, filed suit last month against the “Let It Be” producers Jeff Parry and Annerin Productions, among others. The suit contends that the new musical — which steers clear of those contentious “Let It Be” recording sessions, focusing instead on peppier Beatles moments like the “Ed Sullivan Show” appearance — owes a significant debt to “Rain,” from the musical arrangements to the between-song patter to the mop-toppy wigs. All but 3 of the 31 songs in “Rain” are also in “Let It Be,” according to the lawsuit, and “the artwork used as background during the performance of many of those songs are similar or identical.”"

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