SAN FRANSISCO, CA (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals denied James Newton’s claim that the Beastie Boys infringed on his copyright for the song Choir when they sampled three notes from the song for use in their song “Pass the Mic.”
The Beastie Boys, widely considered pioneers of music sampling, had previously paid Newton a license fee for the snippet of music, which the court deemed sufficient payment for the use of the three notes.
Chief Judge Mary Schroeder summarized the court’s decision in her opinion. “We hold that Beastie Boys' use of a brief segment of that composition, consisting of three notes separated by a half-step over a background C note, is not sufficient to sustain a claim for infringement of Newton's copyright.” –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
