Men At Work Flautist Fears Losing House After Copyright Ruling

His instrument of choice may be one of rock's least-heralded, but Aussie flute player Greg Ham may prefer obscurity to the notoriety gained after his band was fined for copyright infringement.

Men at Work were found guilty of pilfering the tune to one of pop's most memorable flute solos, the jaunty interlude in their massive '80s hit 'Down Under.' Now an Australian judge has ruled the group must pay five percent of the song's royalties to the publishers of classic children's song 'Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree.'

Ham, who gained a songwriting credit and thus royalties thanks to his contribution, has complained to Melbourne's The Age newspaper that his home is at risk. "At the end of the day, I'll end up selling my house," Ham said. "We'll face massive legal costs ... I'll never see another cent out of ['Down Under'] again."

The artist continues to deny the campfire ditty, a favourite of Girl Guides down the years, had any influence on his playing. "I was looking for something that sounded Australian -- that's what came out," he said. "It was never 'Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree' ... no one detected [the resemblance] – I didn't detect it and I played the f---ing thing."