Music was just saved from a copyright apocalypse by a American judge

Music has been safeguarded from a possible copyright crisis by a ruling from an American judge. Copyright, one of the oldest laws in existence, safeguards the rights of creators and those who invest in creations that benefit the public. The Statute of Anne in 1710, followed by the US law a month later, and Canada's adoption in 1832 ensured the protection of intellectual property across the globe.

Laws against plagiarism have been stringent, as seen in cases like Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams' loss over Blurred Lines, and Ed Sheeran's battle over Shape of You. Copyright extends to music, including melody, lyrics, sheet music, and now, it appears, rhythm as well. However, three musical elements are forever free of copyright: song titles, chord progressions, and rhythm.

The latter was put to the test in the Steely and Clevie case involving the "dembow riddim", a beat used in hundreds of songs across genres and artists. The originators, Wycliffe "Steely" Johnson and Cleveland "Clevie" Brown, sued Universal Music and Warner Chappell Music, claiming exclusive ownership of the rhythm. However, a judge recently ruled that the plaintiffs failed to establish a case for control of the rhythm, stating that the beat does not exist as a single standalone copyrighted work.

The verdict is a victory for the thousands of artists using the dembow rhythm, but the case isn't entirely settled.