At times, when even casually listening to a movie, TV program, ad and/or game original score, several musical enthusiasts (aka geeks) can effortlessly tell what the reference track was and how close the composer or writer came to copying it.

"They ripped it off" is often the declaration, "how can they do that?"

In creative industries, where expert practitioners pride themselves on being distinctive and super-original, the sad norm, on occasion, when it comes to music, is how close can they get to a track they love but can’t afford to use.

For those who are creating content for major global corporations, the legal risks and financial implications can be pretty serious.

Why be derivative?