Kanye West lawsuit dismissed thanks to Nietzsche
National Post Staff | Aug 28, 2012 4:29 PM ETMore from National Post Staff
When Vincent Peters sued Kanye West for copyright infringement for the song Stronger, he probably didnt think Yeezy would turn to Friedrich Nietzsche for help. But thats just what the hip-hop artist did, and in doing do had the lawsuit against him dismissed.
Songwriter Vincent Peters claimed that in 2006 he sent a copy of his song, called Stronger, to John Monopoly, a business associate of Kanyes, and alleges that the rapper would then have had an opportunity to copy the song for his own 2007 track of the same name. West did not argue against the songs lyrical similarities, but instead pointed out that those lyrics far outdate Peters track.
Although the fact that both songs quote from a 19th century German philosopher might, at first blush, seem to be an unusual coincidence, West correctly notes that the aphorism has been repeatedly invoked in song lyrics over the past century, Judge Diane Wood said of the lawsuit, which centred on the lyric That that dont kill me only makes me stronger, itself a play on Nietzsches From lifes school of war: what does not kill me makes me stronger, from Twilight of the Idols.
West also pointed out in his argument to the judge that hes not the only pop artist! to quot e or paraphrase the 19th century philosopher Kelly Clarkson did it most recently (and notably) in her 2011 song Stronger (What Doesnt Kill You), which hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
Sponsored Links
Topics: Arts, Scene, Kanye West
blog comments powered by
Comments
Post a Comment