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Even acknowledges that his band SNOWBLIND REVIVAL and NICKELBACK play different genres of music: 'Unlike NICKELBACK's hard rock sound, SNOWBLIND REVIVAL would be considered an alternative rock band with more indie/eclectic roots.' And most importantly, the melodies of and sound nothing alike." Further, the styles of the two works are different. The two songs are not in the same key is in a major key, whereas is in both major and minor keys. NICKELBACK wrote in the court document: "As for the music, it is evident to an ordinary observer that the sound recording of has a steady, driving guitar beat, whereas does not and is obviously slower. Nor does copyright protect the commonplace lyrical theme of imagining being a rock star." Titles are not protectable by copyright, and their similarity cannot give rise to an infringement claim. Now, in an answer to Johnston's original complaint, NICKELBACK stated that "the two songs sound nothing alike." The band went on to say that " Johnston failed to identify any specific lyrical similarities between the works at issue he could only conceivably point to the titles of the two works and 'lyrical themes'. Johnston alleges that "a substantial amount of the music in 'Rockstar' is copied from original composition 'Rock Star'," including "the tempo, song form, melodic structure, harmonic structures, and lyrical themes." In January 2005, NICKELBACK released the song "Rockstar" on its album "All The Right Reasons".
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Johnston alleges that NICKELBACK had direct access to Johnston's musical composition "Rock Star" as a result of SNOWBLIND REVIVAL's marketing efforts. The band made 15 copies of the master recording and sent them to several record labels, including Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, of which Roadrunner Records, Inc. In August 2001, SNOWBLIND REVIVAL created a master recording of "Rock Star", along with three other original songs. alleging that the NICKELBACK copied his original musical composition, "Rock Star", which he wrote in 2001 while a member of the band SNOWBLIND REVIVAL. Kirk Johnston filed a lawsuit against NICKELBACK members Chad Kroeger, Michael Kroeger, Ryan Peake and Daniel Adair, as well as the band's former record label Roadrunner Records and Warner Chappell Music, Inc. NICKELBACK has fired back at a Texas singer over a copyright lawsuit claiming the rock band ripped off its 2005 hit song "Rockstar" from an earlier track called "Rock Star".