With talk that some countries may boycott next year’s Eurovision in Israel if it is held in Jerusalem, there has been a strange new twist in the tale: reports our 2018 Eurovision title has been thrown into doubt after Universal Music fired off an intention to sue notice to the Israeli songwriters behind Toy for copyright.
Universal believes Toy is a rip-off of The White Stripes’ 2003 track, Seven Nation Army.
You be the judges:
https://www.facebook.com/haaretzcom/videos/10156367149756341/
I personally hear the similarities, but many songs have similar riffs and melodies.
Here is a favorite example of mine, involving another Israeli music act: Hadag Nahash
In the meantime, other, calmer reports suggest Toy being stripped of its Eurovision winning title is unlikely, since there is no actual legal claim. Rather, Toy’s rights could be turned over to Universal, which would make the company the song’s publisher and distributor.
Watch this space.
