I think we've touched on this subject here a while back.I heard this story this morning on the radio.
Evidently the Beach Boys (or their record producers) are suing Katy Perry & Snoop Dog for their song "California Gurls" because at the end of the song Snoop Dog says "I wish they all could be California Girls", copying the Beach Boys lyrics.
According to the story on the radio Brian Wilson says he loves Katy/Snoops song and it's his record producer not the BB's themselves suing. Admittedly, I have not heard the entire song, but can you sue for mimicking one line of a song??? I'm guessing, yes. What do you think? I don't feel like searching for the link to the entire song to post but assume most of you know it anyway.
That's a whole post in and of itself and maybe I will do one very soon on that topic but the question always comes down to did the person/group pay royalties/give credit or is it fair use. It's ironic that it's the Beach Boys linked to this, albeit through their record producer. It was the Beach Boys who lifted the entire melody, harmony and rhythm from "Sweet Little Sixteen" for their song "Surfing USA". Berry did NOT appreciate it and sued successfully IIRC. Humble Pie did the same thing with their song "Natural Born Boogie". I don't know if Berry sued on that one. Berry also sued the Beatles for using the lines "Here come old flattop ..." from "You can't catch me" in the song "Come Together". I think that was settled out of court.
Now personally I don't think that one line is worth suing over but then again I don't have the experience of having being ripped off for decades either.
"When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives." Winter is Coming Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky; And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die. As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and back; For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
