​U2 Sued for Allegedly Ripping Off 'Achtung Baby' Song "The Fly"

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Feb 28, 2017

U2 are set to mark 30 years of The Joshua Tree with a massive anniversary tour later this year, but their 1991 record Achtung Baby is making headlines for less than celebratory reasons.
 
According to Billboard, in a lawsuit filed Monday (February 27) in federal court in Manhattan, a British songwriter named Paul Rose has accused the Irish rockers of lifting elements from one of his original songs for a track that appeared on Achtung Baby.
 
In the complaint, Rose claims that U2 stole bits of his song "Nae Slappin" for "The Fly" after hearing a demo version via Island Records executives. U2 signed with the label in 1989, which is the same year Rose submitted his own demo to the same label.
 
Rose is seeking a songwriting credit on "The Fly," as well as $5 million USD in damages and legal fees. U2 have yet to publicly comment on the allegations.
 
Listen to both songs in question down below, and decide for yourself if Rose has a strong case.
 

 

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