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Nickelback Beats Song-Theft Lawsuit Over ‘Rockstar’ At Appeals Court: ‘Mere Clichés’ Aren’t Infringement

The Nickelback "Rockstar" lawsuit is effectively over after an appeals court sided with the band over the hit song's writing credit.

Upholding a judge’s decision last year that tossed the case, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled Monday that Kirk Johnston had not even come close to proving that Nickelback infringed his earlier song when it released “Rockstar.” “Johnston’s expert categorizes the lyrics into common themes such as ‘making lots of money,’ ‘connections to famous people,’ and ‘references to sports’,” the three-judge panel wrote. In the ruling, the appeals court also upheld another important finding: That there was zero evidence that frontman Chad Kroeger and the other members of the rock band ever heard Johnston’s earlier song.

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