TED Talks Daily Why all melodies should be free for musicians to use | Damien Riehl
Mar 25, 2022
Damien Riehl, a lawyer and technologist, passionately argues for making melodies free for all musicians to use. He highlights the absurdity of melody ownership and how copyright laws stifle creativity. With examples of musicians facing lawsuits for minor melody similarities, he advocates for an innovative project aimed at cataloging every melody. Riehl’s vision challenges the restrictive nature of music copyright and proposes reforms to promote artistic freedom and access, ultimately benefiting songwriters everywhere.
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Musician Lawsuit
- Imagine your favorite musician getting sued for copyright infringement.
- The lawsuit claims their song is too similar to another, causing distress and unfair legal battles.
Finite Melodies
- George Harrison's lawsuit highlighted a crucial point: melodies are finite.
- Musicians might unintentionally create similar melodies due to this limited set.
All Melodies Project
- Damien Riehl and Nolan Rubin embarked on a project to generate all possible melodies.
- This aims to address the issue of limited melodies and potential lawsuits.