[Smt-talk] Music Plagiarism Cases

[Robert Judd]

This is not as bizarre as Steve Soderberg's batting cage story, but
it's bizarre enough that I feel the need to share.

I got an inquiry some years ago at the AMS office re copyright and the
theme from "Jaws" (rising two-note semitone--who remembers the
"ominous semitone" thread on some e-list way back when?).  The maker
of a novelty "Shark Cookie Jar" that played the theme when the lid was
raised was concerned about the theme and copyright (held by Paramount
Pictures). Paramount threatened to sue. The case never went to court;
the cookie jar maker changed it to a descending minor third (which I
hear as "nyah nyah").

Cheers,
Bob Judd
rjudd at ams-net.org