Programmers generate every possible melody in MIDI to prevent lawsuits

Re:Programmers generate every possible melody in MIDI to pre... by rdlw on Friday February 28, 2020 @04:44PM (#22446703)

I don't have a great ear, but I think it's a similar melody, albeit at a different tempo and key (?). If you can't hear it, try changing the video speed to 1.5x during the Sam Smith part.

If these two songs are similar enough, then I think it could be argued that a MIDI sequence has been copied, since in both cases it requires a significant change of tempo and key. A lot of commenters seem to be missing this point: yes, the generated sequences sound different from real songs, but so do the songs involved in the ridiculous court cases. Radiohead and Ed Sheeran were sued for chord progressions, Katy Perry for a melody. The songs involved were altered about as much as the MIDI sequences would need to be to show the similarities.

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Re:Programmers generate every possible melody in MIDI to pre... by tunesmith on Tuesday March 03, 2020 @03:18PM (#22478349)

I'm not incredibly familiar with the court cases, nor that of Coldplay/Satriani, but I have a hard time believing that their decisions are algorithmically binding. Like, yes, they might be similar along those particular axes but that doesn't mean those similarities are the sole reason for the court decisions. There's also matters such as - was songwriter #2 exposed to song from songwriter #1? Does the similarity in arrangement imply intent to copy? Etc.

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