Replies to post #366 on Microsoft Corp (MSFT)

[Burpzilla]

Looks like it was a hoax. Now the Inquirer is including a link to this thing:

"Byrds Founder Cancels Microsoft Lawsuit"

Roger McGuinn, founder of The Byrds, today announced he is canceling his copyright infringement lawsuit against Microsoft, after remembering that he didn't really write the first four notes of "Eight Miles High" after all.

McGuinn had previously charged that Microsoft had illegally used the distinctive chime, consisting of the notes "D", "B", "G" and "A", in the closing music for its Windows XP operating system.

"After I thought about it, I remembered that John Coltrane actually wrote that riff, and I basically stole it," McGuinn said. "Actually, the parts of the song I didn't take from Coltrane were ripped from Ravi Shankar and Andres Segovia."

"I'd like to remind everyone that David Crosby was there at the time," he added.

McGuinn, who is often credited with inventing folk-rock (an accusation he denies), had announced his lawsuit two days ago by posting a press release on his website. The announcement was quickly picked up by Byrds fan sites and discussion boards.

While many of his fans were supportive of the action, others said they were shocked and disappointed. "I can't believe Roger McGuinn uses Windows," flamed one fan. "I was sure he was a Macintosh guy." Wrote another: "I wish Roger luck with this, but don't forget that John Sebastian wore granny glasses before he did." Retorted another: "Yeah, but then John Lennon stole the idea from Roger."

McGuinn also disclosed that Jordan Bochanis, identified in his previous press release as a "music culture anthropologist" from the University of Bridgeport, is actually a waiter at the Acropolis Diner in nearby Fairfield, Connecticut.

Reached while serving some of the diner's famous fecacta pie, Bochanis commented: "The real crime here is that Microsoft uses Roger's work for the closing music. I think the only proper thing for Microsoft to do would be to move those four notes to the opening theme."

A Microsoft spokesperson could not be reached for comment.
:-) :-) :-)
http://www.ibiblio.org/jimmy/mcguinn/press.html


Good hoax. He shoulda let it run a few more days, though. (Either way, Inquirer still sucks for saying it was "no joke." Actually, they probably suck anyway.)

[The Duke of URL]

Actually, Ace, anyone familiar with music knows that it is only the first 3 notes of "8 miles high" that are distinctive, and therefore possibly protectable. Perhaps Roger was thinking of his other song, "3 Miles High"

And as far as your rule of 17 Notes, they are like signs in the streets, they cannot set a hard and fast rule to live by. I commend you to the words of the Subject tune:

Signs in the street
That say where you´re going
Are somewhere
Just being their own
Nowhere is there
Warmth to be found
Just those afraid
Of losing their ground



Truth be told, the last four notes of the Microsoft shut down sequence are borrowed from The Rolling Stones, and were negotiated at the same time "Start Me Up" was negotiated... They are, as was revealed in the Microsoft Antitrust Trial, from the 1962 song, from the album, _Out of Our Heads_, "I Can't Get Me No Satisfaction.


no, no, no, hey, hey-hey.