Lawyers for Coldplay deny band copied Satriani song
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 7, 2009 | 9:53 AM ET
CBC News
Coldplay has denied copying portions of a song by American guitarist Joe Satriani for the band's 2008 hit track Viva La Vida.
In a U.S. Federal Court filing in Los Angeles on Monday, lawyers representing the British rock band argued that any similarities between Viva La Vida and Satriani's 2004 song If I Could Fly were not significant enough to warrant damages.
Satriani, a guitarist who has played with Mick Jagger, launched a lawsuit against Coldplay in Los Angeles in December, accusing the Grammy Award-winning British band of plagiarism.
Satriani is seeking a jury trial, and is calling for damages as well as "any and all profits" related to the alleged copyright infringement.
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, Coldplay's latest release, was 2008's bestselling album, with sales of 6.8 million copies worldwide.
It was also a major winner at February's Grammy Awards, with the track Viva la Vida picking up the coveted title of song of the year and the album named best rock album.
The band is currently on a world tour promoting the release.
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