Fact Check

Metallica Sues Unfaith

Is Metallica suing Unfaith over their use of the E and F chords?

Published July 17, 2003

Claim:

Claim:   Heavy metal band Metallica is suing the group Unfaith over their use of the E and F chords.


Status:   False.

Example:   [Collected on the Internet, 2003]




MONTREAL - Metallica are taking legal action against independant Canadian rock band Unfaith over what they feel is unsanctioned usage of two chords the band has been using since 1982: E and F.

[rest of article here]



Origins:   Metallica may be derided by some fans as an aggressively litigious group, having once sued the Napster file-sharing service over the unauthorized distribution of their copyright-protected music, but they haven't gone so far as to sue another band over the use of the E and F chords.

The "Metallica Sue Canadian Band over E, F Chords" article was a spoof posted on the humor site scoopthis.com and
mocked up to look like a genuine news page from the MTV.com web site. The joke was executed well enough that it fooled some "legitimate" news services, such as Ananova, into picking up the story.

Last updated:   30 October 2007


David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994.

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