The greatest wrong committed here is this: if indeed these songwriters copied the song that Erin McKeown wrote, then Tomas Zubak, Peter Graus, and Maros Kachut effectively lied. And more than likely, they have profited from that lie.
Perhaps Erin's emotional response would have been very different if the credits for "Touch the Sun" had read, "Adapted by Tomas Zubak, Peter Graus, and Maros Kachut from Slung-lo, written and originally performed by Erin McKeown." But that is not what Zubak, Graus, and Kachut did.
They presented themselves as the creators and originators of the song. And they sold that song for a price, on the basis that they had written the song themselves for Debbi to perform. It was a lie. If nothing else, if they had simply told the truth, the success of the copy could have brought Erin McKeown new fans and publicity. Perhaps Debbi would have turned to Erin to commission a new, original song written specifically for her. Instead, Zubak, Graus, and Kachut chose to claim that Erin McKeown's song was their own original idea.
It is not that Zubak, Graus, and Kachut stole something. They didn't. The real wrong here is that they lied.
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Lies
Perhaps Erin's emotional response would have been very different if the credits for "Touch the Sun" had read, "Adapted by Tomas Zubak, Peter Graus, and Maros Kachut from Slung-lo, written and originally performed by Erin McKeown." But that is not what Zubak, Graus, and Kachut did.
They presented themselves as the creators and originators of the song. And they sold that song for a price, on the basis that they had written the song themselves for Debbi to perform. It was a lie. If nothing else, if they had simply told the truth, the success of the copy could have brought Erin McKeown new fans and publicity. Perhaps Debbi would have turned to Erin to commission a new, original song written specifically for her. Instead, Zubak, Graus, and Kachut chose to claim that Erin McKeown's song was their own original idea.
It is not that Zubak, Graus, and Kachut stole something. They didn't. The real wrong here is that they lied.
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by Christopher O'Neil.
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