THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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Stamp survives inadvertently mimicking Mraz

Stamp survives inadvertently mimicking Mraz

Fans of "The Voice Thailand" love singer-songwriter Apiwat "Stamp" Eurthavornsuk for the witty jokes he makes as a coach on the show, but that didn't shield him from their criticism over his song "Winyarn" ("Spirit") when it came out last month.

The problem is that it sounds an awful lot like “I Won’t Give Up” by American star Jason Mraz. Some would say it’s a note-for-note copy, in fact. For the first time in his career, Stamp was being called a copycat – and worse. 
Stamp says he was taken aback by the criticism, stung by the intimations of plagiarism, but he figured he’d better listen to “I Won’t Give Up” and see what folks were talking about.
Well, he must have felt a bit like George Harrison having to admit that “My Sweet Lord” was indeed similar to “He’s So Fine” by the Chiffons, who successfully sued the ex-Beatle for ripping them off. Yep, Stamp admitted on his Facebook page, there is a familiar ring to the Mraz tune. But, like Harrison, he swears he made no conscious attempt to copy it.
“I composed this song on the piano and then I got the idea for the lyrics. I thought it was a rather easy melody and thought the lyrics were a suitable match. I wasn’t aware of Jason Mraz’s song and didn’t think to check anything.” 
When the record came out to a chorus of “uh-oh”, Stamp felt terrible about it, but quickly accepted that he’d somehow copped a Mraz melody. So he contacted Mraz’s Thai copyright holders and explained the situation. “I’d like to thank Warner Music Thailand, which takes care of Jason Mraz’s copyright, for helping me send a tape of my song ‘Winyarn’ and a letter to Jason Mraz and his team. 
“And I also want to apologise to his fans,” Stamp added gracefully. Having been able to respond quickly to the charge of plagiarism makes him feel better, he said. Meanwhile he’s resisted the temptation to play “Winyarn” at promotional appearances and yanked the music video off the social networks. He even explains what happened in a “replacement” video on YouTube that features a comparative clip of the Mraz melody.
So the fans felt better too, online pundits praising Stamp for behaving like a gentleman. “In the whole time we’ve had the social media,” someone said at Pantip.com, “I think Stamp is the first artist who’s been sportsmanlike in accepting criticism. He’s won my heart.” There is widespread acceptance that this was all just a coincidence. On Twitter, @Nina_Phanita called Stamp a genuine artist who reacted appropriately in the face of criticism. 
Warner Music and Jason Mraz’s people have waived off the problem too, so Stamp can carry on without fear of being in violation of copyright. He’s told his fans they can now go ahead and enjoy listening to “Winyarn”. 
The lesson here is really for other musicians, though. Should you find yourself subconsciously plagiarising someone else, stay calm, respond swiftly and get in touch with the right people. It not only shields your career and reputation from damage, but it also wins applause. George Harrison, usually quite serene thanks to his transcendental meditation, went to court with the Chiffons and won nothing, instead losing a great tune and a slice of his integrity.
 
 
 
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