Intellectual Property,
Entertainment & Sports
Jul. 11, 2023
George Harrison rocks the Mosk Courthouse
Harrison reacted with outrage to the court ruling finding him liable for stealing another composer’s work. After the disastrous decision came down, he wasted no time in composing “This Song,” his satirical protest of what he considered to be a stinging injustice.
Michael L. Stern
Judge (ret.)
Harvard Law, Boalt Hall
Judge Stern worked at the CRLA Santa Maria office from 1972 to 1975. He is chair of the Los Angeles County Superior Court Historical Committee.
Odds are that few of the countless attorneys who have appeared in the oak-paneled courtrooms of the Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles, or most devoted Beatles fans, are aware that the wildest musical event ever filmed in an American courtroom was George Harrison's "This Song."
The bizarre recording was the former Beatle's reaction to losing a copyright infringement lawsuit that accused him of plagiarizing the melody for his smash hit "My Swee...
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