European Court of Justice rules Kraftwerk sample use legal, ending long copyright dispute

Kraftwerk lost a 22-year copyright battle over a sampled song. The European Court of Justice ruled the use of a two-second sample was legal. The court determined the sample fell under "pastiche," allowing unauthorized use if it's noticeably different and in artistic dialogue with the original. This clarifies sampling laws in the EU. The case, initiated in 2004, will now return to a German court for final review under the new ECJ guidelines.