Meat Loaf has completed a two-year legal battle over the rights for 1993’s “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)”.
UCR reports that it ended in a deal that saw the suit concluded with prejudice. Settlement details were not disclosed.
What the prejudice ruling basically means is that neither Meat Loaf himself and songwriting collaborator Jim Steinman, or the representatives for Enclosed Music LLC, can revive the case under any circumstances.
According to Law360.com, this ultimate legal decision comes after an agreement formed in February. That stated the parties should find a settlement but they would be allowed to reopen proceedings if the attempt was unsuccessful.
Enclosed Music filed legal proceedings in 2017, arguing that Steinman had access to material written by Jon Dunmore Sinclair, considering that the pair were both represented by lawyer Howard Siegel in the ‘90s.
It was alleged that Steinman had access to Sinclair’s 1989 song “(I’d Do) Anything For You.” Enclosed Music, operating as owners of Sinclair’s catalogue, maintained that:
“The concurrent representation of two songwriter clients lends an inference that, during a visit with Mr Siegel, Mr Steinman would have had a reasonable opportunity to view, hear, and/or copy the original song before composing the infringing song.”
Arguing that both songs were part of the same musical “soul,” one of Enclosed’s lawyer later made the case that: “Mr Siegel promised to ‘shop’ Mr Dunmore’s music back in the early ’90s, and also told Mr Dunmore that Meat Loaf was looking for songs.”
Meat Loaf argued that the tracks bore no similarity to each other except for the lyrical phrase “I would do anything for.”
The singer conceded that was too vague to be considered as protectable under copyright law. Meat Loaf also insisted that Enclosed had not proved they owned Sinclair’s catalogue in any case.
Meat Loaf pointed out that in Steinman’s work the line always followed an action such as “forget the way you feel right now” and “do it better than I do it with you.”
“I’d Do Anything For Love” played a major part in returning Meat Loaf to the big time, after he spent several years adrift.
The No. 1 classic rock song actually appeared on Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, a reunion album with Steinman that went on to sell more than 14 million copies worldwide.
Later, Meat Loaf added a number of things that he the singer wouldn’t do for love either – including going vegan, recording a song with Justin Bieber and taking a bullet.
Meat Loaf…Vegan? As if.
Wishing a happy 71st birthday to acclaimed singer-songwriter, record producer and actor Michael Lee Aday, better known as MEAT LOAF!#MeatLoaf #Music #Birthday #OnThisDay#BornToday #BornOnThisDay #HappyBirthday#BatOutOfHell #Rock #MusicHistory #OTD@FreebyrdWil @DrJimmyStar pic.twitter.com/hJvCRV3TZy
— TM On Music (@tmonmusic) September 27, 2018
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