Elton denunciato per aver copiato il testo di Nikita

Una notizia tra il comico e l'incredibile:

http://www.eltonfan.net/cgi-bin/news/viewn...e&tmpl=viewnews

Elton John is a no good dirty lyric stealer -- at least according to a self-proclaimed "award-winning" photojournalist and songwriter, who claims Elton coldheartedly ripped off the lyrics to the hit song "Nikita."

TMT reports that the man behind the accusations -- named Guy Hobbs -- filed the lawsuit in Illinois federal court, claiming he wrote a song called "Natasha" back in 1982 based on his affair with a Russian cruise ship waitress ... and three years later, Elton jacked his idea.

According to the lawsuit, Guy copyrighted the song and circulated the lyrics to multiple publishing companies -- including Big Pig, which solely publishes Elton John songs -- but he never heard back. In 1985, Elton John released "Nikita" -- and Guy claims the lyrics bear "significant similarities" to "Natasha" ... even though "Natasha" is about a German female border guard. Hobbs doesn't specify exactly which lyrics were allegedly stolen.

Now, nearly 30 years later, Guy is suing for copyright infringement -- demanding unspecified damages. As for what took him so long to sue -- Guy says he's been living in Africa since 1984 ... and news travels slow over there.

Ed ecco la comprensibile risposta di Elton e Bernie:

http://www.contactmusic.com/news/sir-elton...lawsuit_1323374

Sir Elton John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin have been left "surprised" and "disappointed" by a "baseless" lawsuit accusing the pair of stealing the lyrics to their hit song Nikita.
Photojournalist/songwriter Guy Hobbs has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in Illinois, claiming Sir Elton's 1985 chart hit, which features lyrics penned by longterm collaborator Taupin, bears striking similarities to his own track Natasha, which he wrote three years prior.
In his court papers, Hobbs claims he came up with the tune, about his love affair with a Russian cruise ship waitress, and had it copyrighted before sending it out to various publishing companies, including Big Pig - the firm which handles the Rocket Man star's songs.
But representatives for both Sir Elton and Taupin have denied the allegations, dismissing the suit as "completely meritless".
A statement issued to the New York Post's Page Six column reads: "Sir Elton John and Mr. Bernie Taupin were surprised and disappointed to learn of the lawsuit for copyright infringement brought against them by Guy Hobbs concerning the lyrics of their 80s hit Nikita.
"Sir Elton and Mr. Taupin do not know the plaintiff, nor did they make use of any song lyrics he claims to have written when they wrote Nikita. In short, the suit is completely meritless. The fact that Hobbs has chosen to wait more than 26 years after the release of Nikita to bring this lawsuit calls his motives into question. Sir Elton John and Mr. Taupin fully expect to prevail against this baseless claim."
Hobbs alleges it has taken him over two decades to take legal action because he moved to Africa in 1984.

Ecco il documento completo della denuncia di Guy Hobbs nei confronti di Elton e Bernie (che poi non capisco cosa c'entri Elton, visto che il presunto plagio del testo sarebbe stato operato solo da Bernie):

www.entlawdigest.com/2012/04/30/eltonJohn.pdf

Purtroppo nell'atto non c'è il testo della canzone "copiata", che sarei proprio curioso di leggere!
Però ho come l'impressione che di copiato ci sia solo il soggetto e non delle frasi in particolare...e se così fosse, è abbastanza scontato che si tratta di coincidenza.

Come dice nel primo post "in Africa le notizie arrivano più lentamente"!
Comunque nell'atto dice che è dal 2001 che ha scoperto il "plagio" e prova a reclamare i diritti...

Colpo di scena: Guy Hobbs scrive nei commenti del sito TMZ e dà altri dettagli!

www.tmz.com/2012/04/27/elton-john-n...comments-anchor

Well done TMZ for breaking the story. My first job was as a photographer on a Russian cruise ship in 1982. I was an aspiring songwriter (lyricist) and wrote "Natasha" about impossible love between a Western man and a Russian during the Cold War - it was based on my relationship with a Russian waitress who was not allowed to leave the ship and was watched by an on board KGB officer.
The next year I was in London doing the "starving artist" thing trying to get a break as a songwriter or photographer. I sent 5 lyrics, including Natasha to "Big Pig" publishing after finding their address in a songwriting magazine. I would not discover until 16 years later that Big Pig was in fact Elton John and Bernie Taupin. I thought there was a publisher protecting my interests.
No one responded, so soon after I abandoned songwriting and went to Africa and became a photojournalist. 4 months later Nikita was written by Elton and Bernie and then released 11 months after that, at the end of 1985 (so that is about 25 years ago). It was Elton's 3rd most popular solo hit in his career according to international chart rankings - it has appeared on 200 albums and won an Ivor Novello award for "Best written song of the Year".
In 2001 I saw the lyrics of Nikita in a song book for the first time and was immediately stunned at the similarities with my Natasha lyrics. In fact, a forensic linguistic breakdown of the 2 songs shows that almost half of the lyric material in Nikita can be linked to my lyrics.
4 experts in forensic linguistics, forensic musicology, song writing and copyright law have confirmed the 2 lyrics are "Substantially similar".
Of course, what does a person of limited financial means do when they need justice from one of the richest pop stars in the business. That is what I have been trying to figure out for the last 11 years. Finally I have found a way forward and hopefully I will now get my day in court to get justice for past wrongs.
Bernie and Elton had a lucky break 16 years previous to 1985 when a kind music business insider connected them together and took Bernie from being a chicken farm labourer to a multi-millionaire songwriter. Had they then "Passed it Forward" and acknowledged my crucial contribution to the creation of Nikita, I would have been fast tracked into the world of professional songwriting, becoming a co-writer of a huge hit and getting an Ivor Novello award for my efforts. How my life would have been different.
Instead I abandoned songwriting thinking I couldn't make it happen. Only in recent years have I started songwriting again and I am now planning a project where I will be trying to repeat what I did 25 years ago and try and create another hit. If I succeed, some royalties and acknowledgement would be nice this time round.
What I can say, with 100% conviction, is if I hadn't written Natasha, Nikita would never have happened.
Has anyone else noticed that despite the huge success of Nikita, Bernie and Elton have never really talked about the song ?
For those with song copyright knowledge I have a solid case showing "prior creation", "access" and "substantial similarity".
And yes, Elton writes the melodies and Bernie the lyrics, but the end result is co-owned, so, any infringement would be against both the owners.
I thought I would bring some clarity to the issue seeing as TMZ.com is being quoted by everyone. Might as well get the facts correct at the source seeing as I have a media background myself.
Incidentally, it is interesting being the focus of a media story rather than being at the other end.
Guy Hobbs, Cape Town, South Africa