Inspiration or ripping off?

[Snake420]

Where is the line drawn between inspiration and just coping another artist's work. Several times while playing final fantasy games I hear themes I know I've heard elsewhere. The only one off the top of my head is "Silence before storm" from FFX, but I'm not sure of what of. Somewhere in the middle of the track the sounds brought feeling of familiarity.

Another example would be the Wild Arms soundtrack. Some parts sound note for note like western works done by Ennio Morricone. The girls' theme Wild Arms and "ecstasy of gold" from the Good, Bad and the Ugly. I don't read the liner notes so I dont know if the original composers get any props.

[cloudff7]

Well as far as for the Wild Arms' music, I wouldn't say it is direct copying. She (meaning the composer) obviously used the music from the other albums for inspiration. To say someone is "ripping" off ideas from other composers I think is a little harsh and in a way, putting down their creativity as a composer. I'm sure that is not what you mean, but it sounds like that. But at the same time I can see where you are coming from, as there are times when listening to not only VGM, but other songs and thinking, did they take that opening from this, or did they take that rhythm from that song? It really makes you wonder...

[Mikal Aganti]

I don't know for sure about this, but I think "copying" would be note-for-note of the original song with very minor changes, such as NES Tetris's classical music and the Final Fantasy Battle Win theme. "Inspiration" would be more than a remix, such as Ocarina of Time's Hyrule Field theme that has a few measures from the classic Zelda theme. A remix would fall in-between copying and inspiration, such as the Termina Field theme from Majora's Mask.