IP disputes involving songs always seem to pique the interest of the press and the public. Probably because everyone can put themselves in the position of the judge "...well *does* it sound like the other one". 

Landmark UK cases like those involving "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and the works of Spandau Ballet stick in the public consciousness better than more prosaic disputes over software and patents, but it can't be denied that the frequency of these cases has increased in recent years.  This podcast from the Verge is a really interesting examination of why that might be the case - and how the shift to streaming as a distribution method could be, at least partially, to blame.

I'm not sure I agree entirely with the proposition that copyright law is "just a bunch of made up rules about what bits of culture you can and cannot own", as opposed to a carefully balanced way of rewarding and protecting creativity and intellectual effort that has developed over hundreds of years. However, copyright has always evolved to try and keep up with technology, and it definitely seems like streaming is accelerating that process at the moment.