Oscar-Nominated Film’s Soundtrack Causes Infringement Inquiry

Case Overview

This case takes place in New York and involves the soundtrack to an Oscar-nominated film. The plaintiff in this case worked in film production as a composer. In his free time, the plaintiff also produced music for an independent music label, which made tracks from its artists available for free on the internet. The defendant in this case was a colleague of the plaintiff while both were involved with the production of the soundtrack and background music for a major motion picture. During one scene, the background music was, according to the plaintiff, a song from the plaintiff’s latest album, which the defendant had used without his express permission. An expert in audio forensics/audio engineering was sought to opine on the issue.