Avril Lavigne Rips-Off Obscure 70's Band

If you haven't heard already, the band "The Rubinoos" (a really rubinoos name ha ha) are suing Avril Lavigne for ripping off their song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" with her song "Girlfriend". This ytmnd site shows how very similar the songs are: http://avrilolol.ytmnd.com/

Avril Lavigne is being sued by two songwriters who claim that her hit "Girlfriend" sounds like a track their American power pop band recorded in the '70s.

Tommy Dunbar, the founder of the Rubinoos, filed the suit in California's Northern Federal District Court in San Francisco on July 2. The suit alleges that "Girlfriend" bears striking similarities to the Rubinoos' song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend," co-written by Dunbar and former Rubinoos' road manager James Gangwer, and released by Beserkley Records in 1978.

The lawsuit also names as defendants Lavigne's publishing company Avril Lavigne Publishing and the co-writer of "Girlfriend," producer/remixer Dr. Luke.

Dunbar and Jon Rubin formed the Rubinoos as middle school students in Berkeley, Calif., in 1973. The band is best known for its 1977 remake of the Tommy James and the Shondells' hit, "I Think We're Alone Now" which reached No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Lavigne's Vancouver-based manager, Terry McBride, CEO of Nettwerk Music Group, claims the suit "has no basis. There's nothing similar (between the two songs)," he says. "Our musicologist says there is no similarities of melody, choral progression or meter."

McBride, however, may settle the suit out of court if the costs of defending the case start to prove too high. He says, "You are forced to consider doing this because American lawyers can do these cases on contingency. If I defend and win, it costs me $300,000 U.S. If I go to get my costs back, the other party declares bankruptcy. You end up footing the bill."

McBride adds, "Avril has insurance that covers off these sort of suits that are so prevalent in this business."

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003607413

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS STORY?!

Am I surprised? No. She can barely play guitar, shes uses power chords *spits* She could have been a bit more imaginative though instead of just substituting girl for boy. Americans are so dumb (I know shes Canadian but screw it, its still a valid statement).

*EVERYONE IN THE WORLD HAS TO SEE THIS VIDEO!!!!*

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=p--77vPuWCY

so... awkward...

This is definitely the worst interview i've ever has the displeasure to sit through. Simon Amstell, why have you forsaken us?

You like girlie guitar players ... try this one ... I almost chopped all o' mine up afterwards!

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1785503935

Hope it's still there.

You haven't heard of the Rubinoos??????????

What kind of education have you had?

Actually I think that "I wanna be your boyfriend" was originally done by some 60's group.

Obviously not then. Why didn't they get sued??????????

Quote: losaavedra @ July 7, 2007, 6:51 PM

You like girlie guitar players ... try this one ... I almost chopped all o' mine up afterwards! Hope it's still there.

View original

It's still there. Gordon Bennett, if I could play like that I'd chop my fingers off and wear a Hannibal Lecture facemask just to ensure I never inflict that on the world again. I got 30 seconds in before I took a hammer to my PC.

Why oh why do guitarists think pulling a face like that has anything to do with the music, unless of course she was pinching one off? At certain points her face became so Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal I thought it was the new guinness advert.

I've played guitar for years and never ever looked like Patrick Moore trying not to hurl and squirt at the same time. Blues playing like that is the equivalent of Shitney Houston vocal masturbation, going nowhere and the person having the most fun is the person doing it.

However, if there is one good reason for chopping up all the guitars in the world then Blues is it. I know it has a big following and I wish I could love it but it leaves me cold. This is only my opinion and not even representative of general public opinion.

Avril doesn't deserve an opinion - except this one...

Quote: David Chapman @ July 7, 2007, 7:15 PM

You haven't heard of the Rubinoos??????????

What kind of education have you had?

Actually I think that "I wanna be your boyfriend" was originally done by some 60's group.

Obviously not then. Why didn't they get sued??????????

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There's a song by the Ramones called "I wanna be your boyfriend".

I haven't heard of the Rubinoos, sorry (unless you're being sarcastic)

Quote: Retinend @ July 7, 2007, 8:43 PM

There's a song by the Ramones called "I wanna be your boyfriend".

I haven't heard of the Rubinoos, sorry (unless you're being sarcastic)

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Nope - sorry! I'm that old.

Ramones was punky - obviously - Runinoos was power pop!

David started the First Boer War. That's how old he is.

Quote: Aaron @ July 8, 2007, 12:44 PM

David started the First Boer War. That's how old he is.

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Have you spelt that correctly?

(Before anyone else says it)

Indeed I did.

it seems a lot of artists are ripping off other artists now lol if it is intentional or not though. there have been so much music that its probably hard to come up with something that's totally original.

but the two songs do sound really similar though

As someone else said though - it's always happened.

Quote: David Chapman @ July 9, 2007, 12:00 AM

Have you spelt that correctly?

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Thats how the war started isn't it. Don't know much about the Boer War. Actually thats a lie i'm a history buff