Coldplay deny copyright breach

Coldplay denied in US federal court that they copied parts of Joe Satriani’s music for their hit song, 'Viva La Vida'.

In a response filed in Los Angeles, lawyers for Coldplay’s band members also argued that any similarities between 'Viva La Vida' and Satriani’s 'If I Could Fly' weren’t enough to warrant damages.

Satriani’s song “lacks originality", Coldplay’s response claims, and shouldn’t receive copyright protection.

Satriani sued Coldplay in December, claiming the British band used “substantial, original portions” of 'If I Could Fly', which was released in 2004.

Satriani’s lawyer, Howard E. King, said Coldplay’s response was typical for copyright infringement cases and he reiterated that he thought the matter could have been resolved without a lawsuit.