No, NinjA Cyborg did not plagiarize Rammstein, as fans of the German rock band claimed, quite the opposite happened.
This was demonstrated by a judicial musical expert report, which concluded this Wednesday, March 27, that the German group “voluntarily borrowed the riff and other melodic elements of sunny roadinside Germany“.
No chance encounters
The music expert of the Paris Court of Appeal, Richard Dubugnon, estimated that “no chance encounter” could be accepted due to “too many similarities” and that Rammstein had “without a doubt” committed plagiarism, indicates a press release from PHI Avocats. .
The “similarities are effectively the result of a voluntary loan,” the expert further indicates.
In fact, the two pieces have significant similarities, particularly in the guitar riff. “Rammstein deliberately borrowed the riff and other melodic elements of sunny roadin Germany, esteems judicial musical expertise.
The title of the French group was published in 2018, and that of Rammstein a few months later, in 2019. Germany It is taken from the album Ramsteinpublished in May 2019.
Dismissed in the first instance
Since 2020, Marc Botté and Martin Antiphon, members of NinjA Cyborg, have received messages from fans highlighting the similarity between their titles and accusing them of plagiarism.
“I don’t like Rammstein and I don’t listen to this group,” Marc Botté told Obs. “I created that riff. I knew very well that I hadn’t plagiarized them.”
The French group, which took legal action against Rammstein in 2021, was dismissed in the first instance, before appealing. French justice finally appointed an independent expert in 2022, at the request of the French duo.
However, the case is far from over and this knowledge will be used by the members of NinjA Cyborg during the first hearing before the intellectual property chamber of the Paris Judicial Court to be held on September 10.
“We want this piece to be recognized as ours and for us to no longer spend our lives as artists perpetually justifying ourselves,” the duo tells Obs.
The German group has been in the news in recent months mainly due to accusations of sexual assault against its leader, Till Lindenmann. The German rock metal group announced their future concert dates in October, including a visit to the Orange Vélodrome in Marseille on June 8, 2024.
Source: BFM TV
