Legendary pop singer Madonna is reportedly suing R&B songstress
Mary J. Blige, Aftermath producer Dr. Dre and rapper Eve for copyright infringement.
A publishing company claims that Blige’s recent song "Not
Today," featuring Eve and produced by Dre, too closely resembles Madonna’s
classic 1983 hit "Holiday."
According to court documents, the company alleges that parts
of "Not Today," which was featured in the film "Barbershop 2"
starring Eve and Ice Cube, includes several obvious instances of reproduction.
New York musicologist Judith Finell, an expert witness on copyright
infringement, compared the two songs and concluded that "Not Today"
is similar enough to
"Holiday" and warrants further investigation.
"Both the pitches and the rhythms sound closely related,"
Finell told the Associated Press. "I don’t think they’re identical, because
Madonna’s song is in what we call ‘major key’ and Mary J Blige’s song is in
a ‘minor key.’"
The publishers of Madonna’s song could receive at least $15
million if the case goes to trial and jurors determine that "Not Today"
sounds notably similar to "Holiday."