All Songs Are The Product Of Other Songs (Cue The Copyright Trolls)

The idea that this might be actionable is the new twist. Every song benefits from what preceded it, whether it’s a melodic idea, a lyrical motif, a sung rhythm, a drum texture. A forensic analysis of any song would find all sorts of pre-existing DNA. A copyright troll exploits that, turning inevitable influence into ungenerous and often highly frivolous litigation. – The New York Times