Too bad, this trial would have been fun to listen to. But alas a coda has been reached in progressive rock guitarist Joe Satriani’s lawsuit against mega-band Coldplay for allegedly ripping off his tune to create the hit anthem “Viva La Vida.”The parties have quietly agreed to settle and filed court papers to dismiss the case.
Rock fans will be disappointed that a court won’t make a determination whether C to C sharp, G to G sharp, E minor, then F minor constitutes an original riff and whether Coldplay’s song was substantially similar to Satriani’s tune. But legal observers in this case can always turn their attention to an Illinois court to hear an upcoming case involving Destiny’s Child and allegations of a similar melody swipe.
