Bright Tunes vs. George Harrison – Infamous Rock Lawsuits
Copyright infringement is one of the most frequent causes of rock lawsuits. It's easy to unintentionally lift from another song -- as George Harrison found out when he released his first solo hit after the breakup of the Beatles, 'My Sweet Lord.' The song reached No. 1, and before it even completed its run, Bright Tunes -- the copyright holder for the Chiffons hit 'He's So Fine' -- filed suit against Harrison and his publishing companies. A judge found that the tune did, indeed, too closely resemble the other song, ordering Harrison to pay out 3/4 of the royalties he received from 'My Sweet Lord.' But it didn't end there -- the case dragged on over decades of appeals and reviews, in true rock litigation style.
Watch Harrison Discuss the 'My Sweet Lord' Lawsuit