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20 November 2019CopyrightRory O'Neill

Pink Floyd guitarist in copyright battle over French rail jingle

Pink Floyd guitarist  David Gilmour is facing a potential revival of copyright infringement claims over his 2015 song “ Rattle That Lock”, according to reports.

The song, the title track for his number one album released that year, is built around a sample of the jingle used by France’s rail network,  SNCF.

Gilmour said he got the inspiration for the idea while waiting for a train at the station in Aix-en-Provence, and recorded the sound on his iPhone.

The Pink Floyd musician contacted the composer, Michaël Boumendil, who runs a company focused on sonic branding, for permission to use the jingle.

The French composer is credited as a co-writer of “Rattle that Lock”, after initially agreeing to the musician’s request.

But the relationship turned sour when Boumendil claimed that Gilmour had violated the exact terms of the agreement.

According to Boumendil, Gilmour was authorised only to re-record the notes, rather than sample the same recording used by the SNCF.

A French court ruled earlier this year that Boumendil’s complaint was time-barred, but the French composer has now appealed the decision,  Télérama reports.

The French composer had been seeking €450,000 ($498,000) in damages.

Boumendil’s company  Sixième Son is devoted to creating music branding for companies. As well as the SNCF, Boumendil’s clients have included Unilever, Samsung, Cartier, Carrefour, Renault, and Michelin.

David Gilmour Music, a company representing Gilmour’s IP rights, earlier this year  sued alleged counterfeiters based in China for distributing unauthorised merchandise.

The company said it was looking to crack down on unauthorised use of its ‘David Gilmour’ mark.

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