By KRISTEN GELINEAU

A judge ordered Australian band Men at Work on Tuesday to hand over a portion of the royalties from their 1980s hit "Down Under," after previously ruling its distinctive flute riff was copied from a children's campfire song.

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"Down Under" and the album it was on, "Business As Usual," topped the Australian, American and British charts in early 1983. The song remains an unofficial anthem for Australia and was ranked fourth in a 2001 music industry survey of the best Australian songs. Men at Work won the 1983 Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

(Full Article)

Also:

Men at Work avoid big royalties payout over origins of Land Down Under

Copyright to the Kookaburra song was purchased by Larrikin in 1990 for $6100. The children's song was originally composed by Toorak teacher Marion Sinclair in 1934 for the Victorian Girl Guides.

The statute of limitations only allowed Larrikin to seek royalties dating back six years from when the original claim was made.

(Full Article)

Note that the composer of "Kookaburra" died in 1988, and Larrikin bought the rights in 1990. The song was released in 1983.

Hmmm.