Court Dismisses Copyright Infringement Suit Against Trent Reznor
Originally published in MTV on December 1, 1998
A federal court has dismissed a suit filed against Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor that claimed the macabre musician had stolen material for his last studio album, 1994's "The Downward Spiral."
The lawsuit was originally brought by Mark Onofrio, a Los Angeles musician, in August 1997, but the case had been put on temporary hold by a federal judge in February. On Tuesday, a U.S. District Court in L.A. formally dismissed the copyright infringement suit, according to the Associated Press.
As we previously reported (see "Trent Reznor Faces Song Theft Accusations"), Onofrio said that he met Reznor via an internet chat room, and eventually sent some songs he had written to Reznor. Onofrio's suit claimed that the songs turned up in three songs from "Downward Spiral."
With this legal hurdle out of the way, it appears that Reznor can now concentrate on his highly-anticipated new double-album, which sources indicate should (finally) arrive sometime next year.
The lawsuit was originally brought by Mark Onofrio, a Los Angeles musician, in August 1997, but the case had been put on temporary hold by a federal judge in February. On Tuesday, a U.S. District Court in L.A. formally dismissed the copyright infringement suit, according to the Associated Press.
As we previously reported (see "Trent Reznor Faces Song Theft Accusations"), Onofrio said that he met Reznor via an internet chat room, and eventually sent some songs he had written to Reznor. Onofrio's suit claimed that the songs turned up in three songs from "Downward Spiral."
With this legal hurdle out of the way, it appears that Reznor can now concentrate on his highly-anticipated new double-album, which sources indicate should (finally) arrive sometime next year.
Transcribed by Keith Duemling