A noted guitarist has sued members of Coldplay, claiming the band’s smash hit “Viva La Vida” copied parts of one of his songs.
The copyright infringement lawsuit by Joe Satriani was filed Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles.
The 52-year-old claims Coldplay copied “substantial, original portions” of his 2004 song, “If I Could Fly.” The Coldplay hit, which was nominated for a Grammy this week, has topped charts around the world and been used to sell iPods in commercials.
Representatives for the band and their label, Capitol Records, did not return calls seeking comment on Friday.
Satriani wants a federal judge to order an accounting so he can determine how much money he may be owed, or else stop using the song.
This isn't the first accusation of plagiarism associated with Coldplay's hit song. Brooklyn band The Creaky Boards accused the UK band of leaching thier melody for the tune as well and even put out thier own mash up of the two tracks on Youtube.com (below)
Here's the Satriani mash up:
