Muse Sued For Stealing Rock Opera

It has been reported that Muse and Warner Bros. Records are facing a lawsuit from a man who claims that the band stole the concept for his sci-fi rock opera. Charles Bolfrass, who filed the lawsuit last week, is alleging that the band stole his “cinematic science-fiction rock opera”, which is titled “Exogenesis”, and is now seeking $3.5 million from the group in recompense.

My Guitar Lessons has learnt that Bolfrass claims that he contacted the band back in 2005 with ideas for a science fiction rock opera about space travel after the demise of the planet Earth, an idea which the band rejected. However, the band’s 2009 album, “The Resistance”, ended with a three part conceptual suite, the the tracks of which are titled “Exogenesis Parts I”, “II” and “III”. Bolfrass also believes that the band stole the concept for the album cover from storyboards that he had provided. He is suing Warner Music for copyright infringement, unfair trade practices and unfair competition.

Muse, meanwhile, are set to release their new album, “The 2nd Law” on October 1st. The band will also undertake a short arena tour in the UK in that month to support the album’s release. Speaking to Q magazine last month, singer Matt Bellamy revealed that the band don’t always take themselves too seriously:

“We don’t care if people don’t necessarily take songs like that 100 per cent seriously. We’re not afraid of our eccentricities, we’re not afraid of going into almost Monty Python rock. But it’s like opera. If you put a piece of opera on, it’s ridiculous unless you’ve listened to the whole thing and just go there with it.”

Muse fans may be quick to note that, while Bolfrass’s sci-fi opera does share its name with a trio of Muse songs, the concept of his project is pretty similar to the plot of the video for the band’s “Sing For Absolution”, which was released in 2004.