Men At Work was a popular Australian export in the 1980s. The band gained international success after its debut album, Business As Usual, was released in 1983. The album remained at the top of the charts in the US, the UK and Australia for several weeks.
One of the hit singles from that album was Down Under. It became the country’s unofficial anthem. Men At Work won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1983.
In February 2010, a Sydney judge ruled part of this famous song was plagiarised. He agreed the flute riff in the song was copied from a classic Australian campfire song.
The song Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree was written in 1934 by Australian teacher Marion Sinclair for a Girl Guides competition.
Larrikin Music holds the rights to the song and filed a complaint against Men At Work. The company asked for 60% of the royalties.
A judge now orders Men At Work’s record company as well as the band members who wrote the song to pay up. EMI Songs Australia, Colin Hay and Ron Strykert must pay 5% of royalties earned from Down Under since 2002 and from its future earnings.