I have to admit that this really doesn't surprise me.
Punky pop star Avril Lavigne has reached a settlement in a lawsuit that accused her of plagiarizing her summer hit single, "Girlfriend."
As a result, claims that '70s rock band the Rubinoos were ripped off have been dropped. Songwriters Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer charged that Lavigne's boppy track sounded suspiciously like their 1979 single, "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend."
Rubinoos lawyer Nicholas Carlin says a confidential settlement has been reached but could not comment further. A spokesperson for Lavigne could not immediately be reached.
A settlement does not necessarily indicate an admission of copyright infringement.
Lavigne has said she'd never heard the Rubinoos song, while her manager, Terry McBride, has said he consulted a musicologist who found no similarities between the songs.
Still, McBride admitted he would consider settling the matter out of court to avoid a costly legal battle.
I've heard both tracks (at The Rubinoos websote) and there's no way on earth that she couldn'thave heard it, nor copied it. Itmight not have been a conscious copying, but essentially, it's changing the song from a male singing it about a girl to a girl singing it about a man. That's not enough to not have to pay royalties.
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