Joe Satriani's Copyright Lawsuit Against Coldplay Dismissed

Posted on Sep 16th 2009 10:00AM by John D. Luerssen
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Coldplay and Joe Satriani have reached a settlement in a much publicized lawsuit filed by the hard rock guitarist last December. The case -- in which the current Chickenfoot axeman alleged that the British rock giants infringed on the copyright to his 2004 song 'If I Could Fly' for their 2008 global smash 'Viva La Vida' -- has been dismissed, with the details remaining sealed.

Satriani's representative confirmed the news to Billboard yesterday with legal experts of the belief that a financial settlement between the two parties may have been reached. As a result, Coldplay will not be required to admit to any wrongdoing.

In the suit, which Satriani filed the suit against Coldplay and its record label Capitol Records, claiming that their song contained "substantial, original portions" of his original tune. At the time, Coldplay denied the allegations in a statement that read, "If there are any similarities between our two pieces of music, they are entirely coincidental, and just as surprising to us as to him."

"I felt like a dagger went right through my heart. It hurt so much," Satriani told Music Radar last winter. "The second I heard it, I knew it was 'If I Could Fly.'"