Kraftwerk sample saga heads to next chapter after German copyright ruling
By Inbar Preiss ( September 3, 2026, 15:51 GMT | Comment) -- Pioneering electronic band Kraftwerk is “disappointed” in Germany’s top court ruling that its sample used by music producers falls into a copyright exception under a law that was reformed in 2021. But for uses of the sample over nearly 20 years prior to the reform, damages may still be awarded, in a decision expected before the end of the year.Pioneering electronic band Kraftwerk’s nearly three-decade sampling dispute with German producers Moses Pelham and Martin Haas is not over yet, despite Germany’s highest court ruling on Thursday that the use of a two-second sample from the band’s “Metall auf Metall” track is lawful under the copyright exception for pastiche....
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