[kristopolous]

Sure but are they the E-MU SP-12 or the samples themselves?

If they're selling just the models then it's a cleaner case, but lots of copyrighted sample discs had unlicensed samples or entire synth piano rolls, it was common.

The copyright system is a human institution that's layered on top. It can go a variety of directions.

Michael Jackson for instance, took a sample from the Synclaviar sampler disc, put it at the beginning of Beat It completely unmodified and now the copyright for all intents and purposes is owned by Jackson.