Plagiarism Controversy
On November 18, 2005, a Belgian judge seated in Mons ruled that the opening four-bar theme to "Frozen" was plagiarized from the song "Ma vie fout le camp", composed by Salvatore Acquaviva of Mouscron. The judge subsequently ordered the withdrawal from sales of all remaining discs, and forbade any further playing of the song on Belgian TV and radio. The judge also ordered Warner, EMI and Sony to publish and spread the decision within fifteen days to various media outlets on pain of a penalty of €125,000 for non-compliance with the court order. No damages were granted.
The Belgian radio station Donna held a Top 5000 music chart program from 17 November to 12 December 2008. The song "Frozen" reached place 143, but because of the legal status of the song it could not be played. The radio hosts asked their listeners to watch the music video on YouTube, while there was approximately 5 minutes of radio silence. The song is omitted from the tracklisting on the Belgian pressings of Celebration.
On 11 July 2009 Madonna performed a dance remix of "Frozen" on the Sticky & Sweet Tour date in Werchter, Belgium.
Read more about this topic: Frozen (song)
Famous quotes containing the words plagiarism and/or controversy:
“Ideas improve. The meaning of words participates in the improvement. Plagiarism is necessary. Progress implies it. It embraces an author’s phrase, makes use of his expressions, erases a false idea, and replaces it with the right idea.”
—Guy Debord (b. 1931)
“And therefore, as when there is a controversy in an account, the parties must by their own accord, set up for right Reason, the Reason of some Arbitrator, or Judge, to whose sentence, they will both stand, or their controversy must either come to blows, or be undecided, for want of a right Reason constituted by Nature; so is it also in all debates of what kind soever.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)