it's notation ,regardless of the octave being low.. or not chords etc.
It's hard NOT to copy something, did it 2 times in the past.. once with a massive attack tune and other was blue monday by new order.. subconsciously I did it. only so many notes and all that
was listening to a certain new ELO song (when I was a boy).. reminds me a LOT of a few other songs.. again it starts as one song, then hits into something also memorable from years ago in the middle.
I guess it's the extent to how much something is done.. and if it's on a major label.. don't worry money talks and people can get paid off.. know an example of it with an old song here (someone down the road) and a US artist... they worried they might take legal action and paid em off for £10k.. which is peanuts to what the person using it made and now realised he should have held out for 2 or 3 times that amount.
but the kicker is.. say "bit" wants to lift a 10 second sample out of one of my works.. if it's a major he's signed to , to fight it I'd have to go to the states. they are happy to tie up the small man in legal knots with unlimited funds
things don't just vanish.. out of court with the proviso it's not in the media / known.
a friend from denmark had his c64 sid chip (from a demo) stuff lifted for a UK song.. the person in the UK used to record in the complex I used to go.. so hinted, it would be in his interest to resolve it as the original "artist" as such was very aware of his work being lifted. I was happy to represent him in the UK, was sorted out in the end. joke was, he'd have given usage for free IF he had been asked in the first place, as long as he had a credit.
another fav of mine is if you google "timbaland do it" .. I knew the original ages before..