How similar should a tune be to constitute theft of someone else&#39;s tune?
<p>i am a composer of hip hop songs. As opposed to rap songs, hip hop songs are very melodic by nature. now sometimes i get  inspired by someone else's tune, or write my own tune and then find out someone wrote a similar tune too. When you look at melody there is:</p>
<ul>
<li>notes</li>
<li>key</li>
<li>sounds (or instrument)</li>
<li>volume</li>
<li>length of each note (which can be different between the notes)</li>
<li>sequence of the notes (which note comes after which note)</li>
</ul>
<ol>
<li><p>My question is across these, how many things have to be different to show it is similar?</p>
</li>
<li><p>Also specific question about number of notes- lets say i have same sequence, almost same volume and length. how many notes before it becomes theft? 3? 5? 7?</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>I am choosing US because most of the hip hop songs are in the US. But i am in the UK. But I'm trying to make songs that work for the US too.</p>

<p>There is no real answer to this question. The analysis will always be qualitative, not quantitative. If your work sounds &quot;too similar&quot; to a protected work, it's at risk of being deemed an infringement.</p>
<p>There's no way to say exactly where the line will be drawn, as there are so many elements at play, any one of which could put you over the line.</p>

united-states copyright music