Meat Loaf might end up with a lot less bread by the time is all over.
A legal beef has emerged over Meat Loaf’s 1993 smash hit “I’d Do Anything for Love (but I Won’t Do That)” via a copyright infringement lawsuit filed Wednesday.
In the lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, Enclosed Music says that “I’d Do Anything for Love” copies the 1989 song “[I’d Do] Anything for You,” by Jon Dunmore Sinclair and Mike Molina, which Enclosed claims the copyright to.
Jim Steinman, who also penned the Meat Loaf tune, is also named as a defendant in the suit.
According to the suit, “Both songs share a similar chord progression. However, the portions of each work that drive the recognizability (the distinct nature) of both songs are the chorus and melody as they relate to the lyrics, ‘I would do anything for…’ The Infringing Song essentially copied the ‘soul’ of the original work, which renders both pieces substantially similar.”
So … they took the words right out of their mouth?
The suit is seeking unspecified damages, including combined statutory damages of no less than $180,000 per infringement.
The potential amount at stake could be pretty significant; according to the suit, “Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell,” the album containing the Meat Loaf track, has sold more than 14 million copies worldwide.
TheWrap has reached out to a representative for Meat Loaf for comment on the lawsuit.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.