The music legends behind one of Australia’s most recognisable songs are suing an indie American band for allegedly ripping off the disco classic.
Harry Vanda and George Young, the masterminds behind John Paul Young’s ballad ‘Love is in the Air’ lodged the case in Federal Court in October last year against Glass Candy, a band from Portland.
The copyright owners to the song, Vanda, Young and Boomerang Investments, allege the group’s song ‘Warm in the Winter’ features the title of the Australian favourite and similarities throughout.
Societe Air France, which own the airline of the same name, are also named in the court case for the use of the band’s song in a 2015 commercial campaigned, altered to say ‘France is in the Air’.
Harry Vanda and George Young, the masterminds behind John Paul Young’s ballad ‘Love is in the Air’ lodged the case in Federal Court in October last year against Glass Candy
The copyright owners to the song, Vanda, Young and Boomerang Investments, allege the group’s song ‘Warm in the Winter’ features the title of the Australian favourite
The Glass Candy song, which has been viewed nearly 3 million times on YouTube, was released in 2011 but shot to fame when it was featured on the Air France commercial
The Glass Candy song, which has been viewed nearly 3 million times on YouTube, was released in 2011 but shot to fame when it was featured on the Air France commercial.
The advertisement features people swinging back and forth through a clear plane, finishing with a man and woman kissing as the singer says ‘love is in the air’.
The song was also used in its safety videos.
The copyright owners to the song, Vanda (right), Young and Boomerang Investments, allege the group’s song ‘Warm in the Winter’ features the title of the Australian favourite
The advertisement features people swinging back and forth through a clear plane, finishing with a man and woman kissing as the singer says ‘love is in the air’
On Friday, Justice Nye Perram agreed the owners of the iconic Australian tune had a case and allowed them to serve the band, the song’s writers and the airline.
‘The applicants say that Warm in the Winter contains the same line Love is in the Air as the applicants’ song and that, in effect, the melody for that line is also the same,’ he said said.
‘There is also some evidence that the subsequent chordal structure of both songs is the same.
‘I have listened to both songs and doing so arguably supports that view. I am satisfied, therefore, that there is a prima facie case.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Glass Candy, Air France and Kobalt Music, who are representing the group, for comment.