Tourism Australia campaign may get sued by Disney for copyright

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Tourism Australia's latest advertising tune has been found to be close enough to Disney's Mickey Mouse Club theme song that it could struggle to defend a legal challenge, a music expert said on Wednesday.

"The 'dada dada' is almost exact same chords and very similar melody," Queensland Conservatorium of Music, popular music program convenor Donna Weston said, adding that the chord progression in Tourism Australia's jingle was about "80 percent the same" as the Mickey Mouse theme song.

Weston told Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) that the recent case surrounding Down Under was "a lot less obvious" than any Mickey Mouse/Tourism Australia mash-up.

Weston said chord progression matches were very common between songs, but other similarities meant Tourism Australia could potentially face a legal challenge should Disney wish to pursue it. "There are thousands of songs written on the same chord progression," Weston said.

"What is interesting about this one, is that there are snippets of melody that are similar, and the tempo and rhythm is the same - just enough for you to have that 'tip of the tongue' feeling."If someone at Disney wanted to be pedantic, they would have a strong case."

A spokeswoman from Tourism Australia has laughed off the similarities and said "we didn't write the song".

"I've heard (it compared to) Vegemite, Aeroplane Jelly, Discovery Channel, all the usual things," the spokeswoman told SMH.

"The very nature of jingles is that you listen to it and it sticks in your head, and that's why (the creators) are in advertising."

The spokeswoman was unable to say whether copyright checks had been completed.

Tourism Australia unveiled the second stage of its international tourism campaign on Monday, revealing the song it hopes will be on the lips of every inbound tourist over the next five years.

The television advertisement features dozens of average Australians and a smattering of actors singing lines from the specially composed anthem There's Nothing Like Australia.

The advertising was directed by Michael Gracey, who made YouTube 's most-watched commercial, the Evian Roller Babies.

The music is by the producer, Josh Abrahams.

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