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European Court Rules Sampling Legal in Kraftwerk Case

4/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

On April 14, 2026, the European Court of Justice ruled that Moses Pelham's two-second sample from Kraftwerk's 1977 track was legal.
The ruling stems from Kraftwerk's 2004 case and clarifies "pastiche," permitting unauthorized use if the work is noticeably different and in dialogue.
Kraftwerk's representative, Hermann Lindhorst, said sampling remains limited and the case will be reassessed by the German Federal Court of Justice under the new guidelines.

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Story summary

On April 14, 2026, the European Court of Justice ruled that Moses Pelham's two-second sample from Kraftwerk's 1977 track was legal.
The ruling stems from Kraftwerk's 2004 case and clarifies "pastiche," permitting unauthorized use if the work is noticeably different and in dialogue.
Kraftwerk's representative, Hermann Lindhorst, said sampling remains limited and the case will be reassessed by the German Federal Court of Justice under the new guidelines.