It was not outside the bounds of reason for a jury to conclude that songwriters Michael Bolton and Andrew Goldmark heard and, 25 years later, subconsciously copied an Isley Brothers song, turning it into their own pop hit “Love Is a Wonderful Thing,” the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said May 9, affirming an infringement judgment against Bolton, Goldmark, and several corporate defendants (Three Boys Music Corp. v. Bolton, 9th Cir., No. 97055150, 5/9/00).
Bolton is a singer/songwriter who gained popularity in the 1980s by reviving the soul sound of the 1960s. The Isley Brothers is a well-known rhythm and blues group that helped create that sound.
