When Chris Martin and his Coldplay mates show up at the Grammys this weekend, they'll have fiercer predators to contend with than the normal cadre of paparazzi: process servers.
Back in December, guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the British hitmakers, claiming they lifted a melody line from one of his songs for their Grammy-nominated hit 'Viva La Vida.' Satriani's attorney Howard King tells Fox News that the band has so far dodged getting served the legal papers, and that a big awards show like the Grammys seems like a perfect place to corner Martin and Co.
"We have warned their British lawyers that we have hired a fleet of process servers lined up to dog the band everywhere they go this weekend in the hopes of serving them," King says.
The 52-year-old 'Surfing With the Alien' shredder is reportedly seeking damages and "any and all profits" from the group for allegedly plagiarizing his 2004 instrumental 'If I Could Fly.' Coldplay has denied stealing the riff, calling the similarities in the songs "entirely coincidental." They have been adamant, but also polite, about their stand on the issue. "Joe Satriani is a great musician, but he did not write the song 'Viva La Vida,'" they said in a statement in December.
Satriani's lawyer even promises to have camera crews at the event on Sunday to videotape the transaction. Coldplay are up for seven nominations at this year's show, including the coveted Record of the Year for, you guessed it, 'Viva La Vida.' To top it off, they're also scheduled to perform live. The 51st Grammy Awards air February 8th on CBS.
This might even make me think about watching the Grammys this year. Too bad it won't be for the music.....Damn shame that if Satch was to serve the band with papers onstage it will be the closest he'd get to playing on said stage.
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