Are Men At Work Ripoffs? Debate Rages On Madame H 25 February, 2010 - 9:00 AM

Men At Work songwriter Colin Hay went on Triple M's Melbourne breakfast show, The Hot Breakfast to counter claims he's a ripoff artist.

In the clip above the Men At Work frontman explains why the federal court was wrong in ruling his 80's mega-hit "Down Under" used a riff taken from the old childrens tune, "Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree".

The federal court's ruling has not changed, with Justice Jacobson saying : "The flute riff in "Down Under" in the 1979 recording and 1981 recording infringes on the copyright of Kookaburra because it replicates in material form a substantial part of Ms Sinclair's 1935 work."

Larrikin Music have sued Men At Work songwriters Colin Hay and Ron Strykert for up to 60% of total royalties from the international hit, which over 29 years is a lot of money!

Compare the two songs in the video above and tell us what you think.

(35)

• Tom Fuller says

  This is completely ridiculous, there are so many songs that sounds similar to another song and this is not one of them!!
  

  How can this have gone to court when there are hundreds of songs that use the same 4 chords.
  

  Go to this link to see a compilation of some done by a comedy band.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMshvUReunc

  Posted Friday 5 February, 2010 7:16 AM
• Helen says

  Whilst I do not condone the court's decision. I find it very coincidental that the chap playing the flute in the video clip is sitting in a gum tree.
  Regards
  Helen

  Posted Friday 5 February, 2010 7:19 AM
• Eloise Prime says

  @Tom Fuller - completely true, referring to your point of the axis of awesome sketch. As it has been said, the musical alphabet has only 7 notes, from these there are the major and minor key signatures, so after centuries of the same music notation things do get rather limited.

  At the moment my favourite similarity of songs at the moment includes not only the chords/tune but also the words - All My Life (Foo Fighters) and Friends (Band of Skulls, off the New Moon Soundtrack). Both start with the opening line "all my life I've been searching for something".

  Posted Friday 5 February, 2010 10:24 AM
• tegan karpinski says

  i have to say i am so mad about this
  it does not even sound the same
  this is unaustralian
  i hate the fact that we r turning into an american country, our middle name aint "sue". i hope these types of people pull their head out their bum.
  i jumped on facebook this morning and made a group up on this situation and how it sux. i hope people join the group.

  Posted Friday 5 February, 2010 10:31 AM
• Brad Gregory says

  This is crazy. Some slob just wants money, nothing else but that.

  Hi from the USA.
  I love your station!!!!!!!

  Posted Friday 5 February, 2010 11:25 AM
• Justin says

  It stinks to think that this song sounds like the kookaburra song. it is completely different and unaustralian to do this. that would mean every song that has a four beat count is copied, and that they all should be suid

  Posted Friday 5 February, 2010 12:10 PM
• Gaynor says

  Not happy Jan, we are turning into USA where we sue for anything and everything, I hope Men at Work counter sue for defemation of character. I must be deaf as I can't see the similarities.

  Posted Friday 5 February, 2010 12:42 PM
• Jaimie says

  What a crock of s*@t. They don't even sound the same.

  Posted Friday 5 February, 2010 1:03 PM
• Alana says

  What a kick in the guts!!!!! A Band makes one of Australia's most well known and played songs for tourism and they get punished for alledgedly copying a song sung by hippies and school children. Sounds like a person got far too greedy and decided to make a quick buck! Well Greedy person, I think you have lost a lot of respect from Australia, hope you are very happy with yourself and how GAY your life must be!

  Posted Friday 5 February, 2010 1:48 PM
• David says

  Listen to Boston's 'More than a feeling' and then listen to Hunters and Collectors' 'Holy Grail' and Nirvana's 'Smells like teen spirit'. The latter two are so much closer than this Kookaburra thing, but I don't see anyone being sued.

  Posted Friday 5 February, 2010 1:53 PM

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