On Nov. 29, 2018, Johannsongs Publishing from Reykjavik, Iceland filed a complaint in the Central District of California alleging that the hit song “You Raise Me Up” infringed the copyright to Jóhann Helgason’s 1977 song, “Söknuður” (“Into the Light”) (lyrics by Vilhjalmur Vilhjalmsson). Johannsongs Publishing owns the U.S. copyright to the song except for the lyrics. The complaint alleged that Helgason’s song achieved success in Iceland and was commonly played at funerals and memorial services, and that the melody of “Raise Me Up” was copied from Helgason’s song. The Nordic twist: According to the complaint, the Norwegian singer-songwriter Rolf Løvland, whose … Continue reading Court throws out musicologist Judith Finell’s expert report and finds no infringement by “You Raise Me Up” (Josh Groban)