Did AT&T Just Copy This Singer’s Music Video?
What would you do if you released a music video and a month later an advertising spot for AT&T came out that mirrored the concept of your video? What if you thought it was coincidence, but then, your own fans started to write in and point out the similarities? Would you take legal action? Could you prove it? This is the odd scenario that a Nashville country artist by the name of Jessica Rae found herself in.
In July of 2010, she released her video for her song 'I Could Get Used To This' and a month later, AT&T came out with a commercial that looks eerily similar in production. In an email exchange with Hypebot, Rae said, "I find it hard to believe they would copy my idea but I can see where my fans think it's too similar to be coincidence." Further nothing that while she doesn't have the resources to make any legal real noise about this; she can only hope that it does her some good.
Jessica Rae's Music Video:
The Advertising Spot For AT&T:
Not even close? A little too similar? Get a lawyer?
If it’s actionable, who holds copyright of the video itself? Artist? Label? Video-making dude or dudette?
Not convinced its a rip off since the content of the ATT&T commercial actually had to do with a split screen (one path per device), whereas the music video used the different screens more as a just a style choice. Definitely some similarities though…
I don’t see the big deal. Actually, this looks like a scene from the movie 500 Days of Summer (just saw it again this weekend), so I’d say they both copy from that. But I don’t think there’s a copyright issue for any of the above.
This is news?
Not plagiarism at all. In a stretch, it might borrow some cues from the music video, but I doubt it. Its the same idea as the movie Sliding Doors that depicts divergent paths of the same person that traces back to one seemingly non-important moment. There’s a big difference between Plagiarism/Copyright violation and stylistic inspiration.
What about these companies ripping off a Grammy-nominated music video?
Oren Lavie – “Her Morning Elegance”
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=oren+lavie+her+morning+elegance&aq=0
Hansen & Dysvik mattress commercial
http://vimeo.com/7429173
Amazon Kindle commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PERiTMZ626M
So what you’re saying is, this Jessica Rae chick’s fans think she invented split-screen? In July 2010, when her video came out? And that it never existed before her music video?
/eyeroll
For God sake,it’s almost frame by frame ….and we are talking about the idea generation and the content not the split frame.
And Ray, these folks that work at ad agencies are highly paid creative people who are supposed to be creative, meaning they’re supposed to come up with unique ideas….not just “borrow” them from real artists.
And by the way, “borrow” means to take as a LOAN implying that AT&T will give something back to the artist.
Furthermore, the video’s idea is not that time REVERSES itself for a few seconds and a second version of the artist is created… like in the movie….
I’ve found that in life, if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and talks like a duck it usually IS a duck. but call it what you may.
“For God sake,it’s almost frame by frame”
🙂 The add definately captured the concept better.
I don’t see how this is any different that one artist copying anoter’s musical style. There is no infringement. Plus, who knows how long the ad compan has been working on this campaign.
Blue car syndrome.
Dream on, this will go no further than this silly adempt. I think with very little effort we could source many videos that use split screen and story lines much closer maker her video the one being accused of ripping off others.
I think you got nothing here but a bad attempt to create a story!
Good luck with that!