Men at Work face court battle over 'Down Under' hit

The 1981 hit ‘Down Under’ by Men at Work is the subject of an aggressive court battle in Australia.

The single went to number one in the UK charts in 1983 and is still a favourite on classic hits programmes on Irish radio. But now the music company Larrikin claim that Men at Work plagiarised a "distinct and memorable" melody from their children's song ‘Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree’.

If their suit is successful, Larrikin will be entitled to vast sums of back royalties, as well as compensation for breach of copyright from both Men at Work and the music labels Sony BMG and EMI.