<
https://www.techdirt.com/2023/04/10/someones-trying-to-copyright-a-rhythm/>
"One of the most pernicious effects of today’s copyright maximalism is the idea
that every element of a creative work has to be owned by someone, and protected
against “unauthorized” – that is, unpaid – use by other artists. That goes
against several thousand years of human creativity, which only exists thanks to
successive generations of artists using and building on our cultural heritage.
The ownership model of art is essentially selfish: it seeks to maximize the
financial gains of one creator, at the expense of the entire culture of which
they are part. A good example of this clash of interests can be seen in yet
another lawsuit in the music industry. This time, somebody is trying to
copyright a rhythm:
The [Fish Market song] track featured the first known example of what would
come to be known as a “dembow” rhythm – the percussive, slightly syncopated
four-to-the-floor beat that travelled from reggae to become the signature
beat of reggaeton, today the world-conquering sound of Latin American pop.
Now, more than 30 years after Fish Market was released, Steely & Clevie
Productions is suing three of reggaeton’s most celebrated hitmakers – El
Chombo, Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee – for what they characterise as unlawful
interpolation of Fish Market’s rhythm (or “riddim”), and are seeking the
credit – and royalties – they say they deserved from the start.
As the article in the
Guardian goes on to explain, the culture that has grown
up around the dembow rhythm and its many offshoots is large and flourishing.
The lawsuit itself cites no less than 56 songs, and on popular sites like
YouTube there many dembow and reggaeton mixes and collections that testify to
the vitality and range of the music that has emerged over the last few decades.
To claim “ownership” of the very simple rhythmic patterns that are used is as
absurd as claiming ownership of the waltz or tango."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
