2009 saw the band Coldplay facing several plagarism charges. They were found not guilty. 2010 is starting with the same kind of accusations against a different group. This time it is the Black Eyed Peas and their hit Boom Boom Pow.
A musician named Phoenix Phenom and her co-writer Manfred Mohr filed a complaint for breach of copyright against Fergie’s group. They state that the rhythm and lyrics of their song Boom Dynamite were copied by the Black Eyed Peas to make Boom Boom Pow. This song still holds the record for the most downloads in a week, with 465 000 copies.
The two plaintiffs submitted their song to the Black Eyed Peas’ label, Interscope, after the company showed an interest in their work. They allege that the Black Eyed Peas then used their copyright-protected demo to write Boom Boom Pow.
According to their lawyer, "A simple listening of the two songs will tell you that the songs are substantially similar, and that the hooks of the two songs are virtually identical in rhythm and lyrics."