The use of computer forensics can be powerful in testing allegations of copyright infringement of digitally recorded music. Stroz Friedberg was hired by a musician, who was threatened with an infringement action over a distinctive acoustic phrase used in a popular song. The musician insisted that the allegation was false and provided digital recordings dating over a number of months from practice sessions while the music was being created.
Using forensic analysis and hash value comparison techniques to search for the precise same acoustic phrase in the musical piece, Stroz Friedberg was able to track the development of the disputed acoustical phrase and date precisely the time when the musician created the phrase in the studio. In addition, using digital stratigraphy that involves analysis of where the acoustical phrase was located on the electronic storage medium and the date/time stamps on surrounding digital music files, Stroz Friedberg successfully authenticated the time-frame as accurate and validated the musician's assertions about the creation of the acoustical phrase.