Chuck Berry Vs John Lennon

Chuck Berry and John Lennon performing a duet

One of the most notable legal copyright cases in the music industry is the case between Chuck Berry and John Lennon. Music Publisher Morris Levy, who owned Chuck Berry's song "You Can't Catch Me" (1956), sued John Lennon. The issue was with the line "Here come old flat-top," which was also a lyric in John Lennon's song "Come Together" (1969). Lennon, who was a self-proclaimed fan of Chuck Berry, directly quotes Berry's song but gives him no credit. The case took place in 1973.

John Lennon and Chuck Berry

The case was settled outside of court, as Lennon agreed to cover three songs owned by Morris Levy and put them on his 1975 album Rock n' Roll. Levy would then be able to gain royalties for these songs.

This is a significant music copyright case, as it is one of the first times someone was successfully sued for copying such a small lyric. It also highlights how legal issues and industry power, such as the power of publishers, can control the work artists release and the upper hand they can have over even the biggest artists.