Coldplay copyright case 'settled'

Coldplay have always denied copying the track

Coldplay and Joe Satriani have reached an agreement over a court case alleging they copied parts of one his songs, according to reports.

The guitarist sued the band last year saying they used "substantial, original portions" of his 2004 song If I Could Fly on their track Viva La Vida.

Billboard magazine said he had dropped the case and that Coldplay would not be required to admit wrongdoing.

A spokesman for Coldplay told the BBC the band would not comment.

Satriani's representative confirmed the agreement to Billboard after court documents were posted on US legal website justia.com.

It is not clear whether a financial settlement was reached.

'Entirely coincidental'

Following Satriani's claim in December, Coldplay said in a statement that Grammy-nominated Satriani, 53, "did not write or have any influence on the song".

"If there are any similarities between our two pieces of music, they are entirely coincidental and just as surprising to us as to him," the statement said.

Lawyers for the band argued that any similarities between If I Could Fly and Viva La Vida did not warrant damages.

In court papers filed in Los Angeles, Coldplay also claimed Mr Satriani's song "lacks originality" and should not receive copyright protection.

Satriani's lawyer, Howard E King, had said Coldplay's response was typical for copyright infringement cases.