Biography.guide
Home › People › Composer › Ira B. Arnstein
Portrait of Ira B. Arnstein

Ira B. Arnstein

1879 – 1956

Composer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Ira B. Arnstein

Lived 1879 – 1956 (aged 77). Ira B. Arnstein was a composer.

Ira B. Arnstein (born Itzig Arenstein April 12, 1879 – September 13, 1956) was a musical composer, songwriter, and "chronic litigator".

Arnstein was born in Litzingen, Russia (now Letychiv Ukraine), the son of Bernard Solomon Arnstein and Sophia (Sophie) Kozovoc. He emigrated to the United States when he was eleven.

Litigation

It was noted that Arnstein experienced "copyright infringement persecution mania", always certain that others were stealing his work. He picketed ASCAP after being rejected by them for membership. In 1937, he launched a major lawsuit against twenty-three composers and publishers simultaneously and lost them all. The jurors were directed that in order to find infringement, a "two-pronged test" must be used.

a plaintiff had to show that the defendant had copied him (using charts or other diagrams) the plaintiff had to show that the copying was so extensive that it counted as infringement; a layperson must be able to hear the copied songs as essentially similar

Arnstein lost that lawsuit and had to pay Porter's legal fees. He never won any of the many cases he filed.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Also known as
I. B. Arnstein, I. B. Arenstein, Ira Arnstein, Itzig Arenstein

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ira B. Arnstein's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Ira B. Arnstein?

composer (1879-1956)

When was Ira B. Arnstein born?

Ira B. Arnstein was born on 12 April 1879.

When did Ira B. Arnstein die?

Ira B. Arnstein died on 13 September 1956.

What was Ira B. Arnstein's occupation?

Ira B. Arnstein was a composer.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ira B. Arnstein

· Wikidata: Q60379467

· DBpedia: Ira B. Arnstein

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ira B. Arnstein. https://biography.guide/ira-b-arnstein/

MLA: "Ira B. Arnstein." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ira-b-arnstein/.

Chicago: "Ira B. Arnstein." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ira-b-arnstein/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:27 UTC