A Belgian songwriter has won a plagiarism case against Madonna over her 1998 hit single “Frozen.”
In summary proceedings, Mons local court upheld on Friday (Nov. 18) Salvatore Acquaviva’s claim that the song resembled one of his recordings “Ma Vie Fout le Camp” (My Life’s Getting Nowhere).
The judge Xavier Hiernaux ruled that “Frozen” used four bars from the Acquaviva composition and that similarities were more than incidental. The court heard that Acquaviva wrote “Ma vie fout le camp” in 1993.
Hiernaux added that Madonna had access to the musical information allowing her to write “Frozen,” which she co-penned with Patrick Leonard for the “Ray of Light” album. The judge simultaneously barred sales and airplay of “Frozen” on Belgian territory. Record stores were given 15 days to remove the record from their racks.
Acquaviva’s lawyer Victor-Vincent Dehin said that the ruling was just a first step and that the negotiation on royalties earned from “Frozen” would be subject of further discussion. A spokesperson from Warner Music, Madonna’s record company, did not comment.
