copyright-infringement Archives

Kanye West And Ty Dolla Sign Sued For “VULTURES” Copyright Infringement

November 13, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign cannot seem to escape the mess that is VULTURES 1. The album suffered through numerous delays and controversies. Most stemmed from West’s controversial antics and public statements. Upon its release, however, VULTURES 1 was subject to a lawsuit by the estate of disco icon Donna Summer for an uncleared sample. The lawsuit was settled in June, but now it seems another one has taken its place. Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign are being sued over yet another uncleared sample.

The sample in question is on the song “Fuk Sumn.” The copyright infringement lawsuit has been filed by a trio of artists: Criminal Manne, DJ Squeeky and Kilo G. Per TMZ, the lawsuit claims the song sampled at the beginning of “Fuk Sumn” was taken from from the DJ Squeeky track “Drank a Yak (Part 2).” Criminal Manne is the rapper who spits the lyrics “Smokin’ on a junt, with my n**gas drinkin’ O.E.” Kilo G then gets sampled later on the track. The trio claim that they tried to negotiate with Alien Music when “Fuk Sumn” was first released.

Kanye West Allegedly Failed To Clear “Fuk Sumn” Sample

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Unfortunately, Kanye West fired a large portion of his staff in May, and the negotiations never got off the ground. Criminal Manne, DJ Squeeky and Kilo G claim that they have yet to be paid royalties, despite the fact that their work was clearly sampled. They also claim that Kanye West’s reps have not been in touch with them for several months. The trio are seeking damages for the runaround they feel they have been given since February 2024. This is merely the latest lawsuit that has been leveled against West in recent months.

The rapper was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed by his ex-assistant, Lauren Pisciotta. He’s also facing lawsuits from other former employees, many of which are stemming from his defunct school, Donda Academy. It gets worse. Kanye West is in the midst of finding new legal representation, and Ron Zambrano, an opposing attorney, derided the rapper for having “the attention span of a goldfish.” The rapper will be forced into a default judgement unless he finds new representation soon.

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Megan Thee Stallion’s Producer Claps Back At Plies Copyright Lawsuit

November 7, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The world may be processing the U.S. election, but Plies is filing lawsuits. The veteran rapper made waves on November 6 when he sued Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla and Soulja Boy. He alleged that the artists stole elements of his 2008 song “Me & My Goons” without clearing it with him. Plies is seeking damages for this alleged copyright infringement, which also names Megan Thee Stallion’s label Hot Girl Productions and Soulja’s Collipark Productions. Now, however, Megan’s producer is firing back at the rapper.

LilJuMadeDaBeat, the producer behind the Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla song at the heart of the lawsuit, took to social media on Wednesday night. He claimed that “Wanna Be,” the song in question, properly credits its sample to Big E. Lil Ju noted that Plies’ song came out in 2008, while “My Dougie,” the Soulja Boy song also named in the suit, came out in 2006. The producer claims that the original of the song elements is actually Big E, the man who produced Soulja’s single. “‘My Dougie’ came it in 2006, ‘Me & My Goons’ came in in 2008,” he tweeted. “Big E the producer of ‘My Dougie’ credited on ‘Wanna Be.’”

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Lil Ju took things a step further by poking additional holes in Plies’ lawsuit. Megan Thee Stallion’s producer noted that Soulja Boy’s “Pretty Boy Swag” is also a remake of “My Dougie.” He also claimed the Plies song in question doesn’t even derive from the album Plies said it did. “‘Me & My Goons literally not even the single from that Plies album,” he posited. The producer raises some compelling points, in so much as Plies couldn’t sue Soulja Boy if Soulja’s song came out before his. Furthermore, Lil Ju appears to be confident that he covered his bases in terms of his own sample credits.

It makes sense that Plies would want a chunk of “Wanna Be,” however. The single was everywhere when it dropped in April. It peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it GloRilla’s biggest single as a lead artist to date. It also proved to be another smash for Megan Thee Stallion after “HISS” topped the charts in January. The song even received a remix featuring Cardi B.

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Plies Sues Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, GloRilla AND Soulja Boy For Copyright Infringement

November 6, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Watch Plies Says Women With Plastic Surgery Only Attracts Ugly Men

Maybe Plies is still hot over Kamala losing the election.

Nobody really knows what prompted the Florida rapper to come for the hottest female rappers in the game, but no one’s neck was left unchecked. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Plies has filed copyright infringement lawsuits today (November 6) against Megan, Glo and Cardi for their unauthorized use of his 2008 “Me & My Goons” track. Big Draco also felt the wrath too, for his unauthorized use of the same track on his Soulja Boy anthem “Pretty Boy Swag”.

Megan and GloRilla’s collaboration on “Wanna Be” did numbers this year, sparking a summertime remix with Cardi B, but now Plies names all of the above in his lawsuit. Soulja’s use of the song dates back to 2010, but that didn’t make him exempt from the “Bust It Baby” rapper’s legal wrath.

Plies’lawsuit names Meg’s Hot Girl Productions, Soulja’s former imprint Collipark Productions as well as Universal Music Group, Collective Music Group and Interscope as defendants.

TheSource.com will update this story as more details develop.

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Plies Goes After Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Cardi B, And Soulja Boy In New Lawsuit

November 6, 2024 by newhiphopnews

According to TMZ Hip Hop, Plies has filed a new lawsuit against several of his fellow rappers. Reportedly, this includes Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Cardi B, and Soulja Boy. He accuses all of them of copyright infringement, alleging that they used his “Me & My Goons” beat for their own songs. Allegedly, this includes GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion’s “Wanna Be” and “Wanna Be (Remix)” featuring Cardi B. It also allegedly includes Soulja Boy’s “Pretty Boy Swag.”

Aside from the artists, Megan Thee Stallion’s Hot Girl Productions, Soulja Boy’s former imprint Collipark Productions, Universal Music Group, Collective Music Group, and Interscope are named as defendants. The outlet also reports that he’s seeking damages, though further details of the suit remain unknown for the time being.

Plies Accuses Various Rappers Of Copyright Infringement In New Lawsuit

At the time of writing, none of the individuals on the receiving end of the lawsuit have publicly addressed it. They aren’t the only people Plies has gone after as of late, however. He also called out the American people today in response to the 2024 Presidential Election results. He made it clear that he wasn’t at all pleased and expressed sympathy for those in need of support following Kamala Harris’ loss.

“If I could hug each and every one of y’all who needed a hug, and let you put your head on my shoulder and let you get off what you needed to get off, God knows I would,” he said in a video posted on Instagram. “I wish I had something big enough so that I could invite whoever wanted to come.. just to check on each other and make sure each other was good and everybody was holding up okay.” What do you think of Plies suing Megan Thee Stallion, GloRilla, Soulja Boy, and Cardi B? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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Outkast Hits EDM Duo With Copyright Infringement Lawsuit For “ATLiens” Name

August 23, 2024 by newhiphopnews

According to AllHipHop, Outkast has sued the EDM duo ATLiens for using their trademarked and iconic term without permission. Moreover, the lawsuit comes from High Schoolers LLC (André 3000 and Big Boi’s trademark holding company) against ATLiens Touring, Inc. The rap legends, along with their lawyers at Barnes & Thornburg LLC, seek to “permanently enjoin and restrained, directly or indirectly,” the electronic music group from using the name. Also, they wish to cancel U.S. Service Mark Registration No. 6,136,315 and to obtain consequential, compensatory, incidental, and other damages. Other considerations include royalties from this illegal activity’s profits, coverage of legal fees, and the complete removal of the dance artists’ use of the “ATLiens” name on the Internet.

“The defendant has and continues to sell tickets to concerts and give live performances in this state and District, with its next show being at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia on February 15, 2025,” Outkast’s lawsuit reportedly reads. “Defendant also advertises, offers for sale and sells products to consumers in this state and in this District though its interactive website, including merchandise bearing the ATLIENS mark. The word ATLIENS was invented by Outkast. Before Outkast created it, it [did not exist] in the cultural lexicon. In addition to the studio album ATLiens and the song ‘ATLiens,’ Plaintiff has used the ATLIENS mark as the title of a number of other distinct musical recordings. By way of example, but not necessarily limitation: (i) an album version of the ‘ATLiens’ song [appeared] on the ‘ATLiens/Wheelz of Steel’ CD Single.

Outkast Performing In 2016

Outkast ATLiens Lawsuit Copyright Infringement EDM Duo Hip Hop News — ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 10: Big Boi and Andre 3000 of Outkast perform at One MusicFest at Lakewood Amphitheatre on September 10, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage/Getty Images)

“(ii) both an album version and an instrumental version of the ‘ATLiens’ song [appeared] on a M*** single,” Outkast’s suit continued. “(iii) three remixes, a ‘Bad Boy Remix,’ a ‘Bad Boy Instrumental’ and a ‘Bad Boy Alternative Mix’ of the ‘ATLiens’ song were featured on a Remix CD single; (iv) a clean version, album version, album instrumental and album acapella version of the ‘ATLiens’ song were featured on a 12′ Vinyl Single; and (v) ‘ATLiens’ was used on promo albums distributed by LaFace Records. Plaintiff is also the owner of all right, title and interest in and to the following United States Trademark and Service Mark Applications for its mark ATLIENS, which are presently valid and subsisting in law.

“Many years after Plaintiff commenced use of the ATLIENS mark as a trademark and service mark, many years after Plaintiff acquired common law rights in the ATLIENS mark, many years after Plaintiff commenced use of its ATLIENS mark in a manner analogous to trademark or service mark use, and many years after the ATLIENS mark became famous and inextricably associated with OUTKAST, Defendant formed an electronic dance music (“EDM”) duo in Atlanta, Georgia,” it concluded. “Upon information and belief, Defendant selected the name ATLIENS for their EDM duo to trade upon the tremendous fame and goodwill associated with Plaintiff’s ATLIENS album, song, and mark, or, at a minimum, to call to consumers’ minds Plaintiff’s famous ATLIENS album, song, and mark.”

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NBA Teams Sued For Using Hip-Hop Songs In Social Media Posts

July 23, 2024 by newhiphopnews

A wave of copyright infringement lawsuits have hit the NBA. On July 18, Kobalt Music Publishing, Artist Publishing Group and others put out several lawsuits. They accuse fourteen NBA teams of copyright infringement, including the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. Other teams facing litigation are the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs.

According to the suits, first obtained by XXL on Monday, the plaintiffs are accusing the NBA teams of “exploiting the copyrights by synchronizing the works with the videos, which are intended to promote defendants’ commercial activities, and then exploiting the videos on a variety of consumer-facing platforms.” They add that the “defendants did not obtain plaintiffs’ license, authorization, or consent to synchronize the works with the videos.”

Nearly Half Of The NBA Sued For Copyright Infringement

A detail view of a Spalding basketball during the NBA Pre Regular Season basketball game between the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns on 21st October 1999 at the Great Western Forum arena in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

The songs listed include hip-hop tracks like Busta Rhymes‘ “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See,” Shaquille O’Neal‘s “I Know I Got (Skills),” A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie‘s “Look Back at It,” and DJ Khaled‘s “All I Do Is Win.” Additional artists include Jay-Z, Cardi B, Migos, and OutKast. The lawsuits seek $150,000 for each infraction. Moreover, many of the NBA teams in question have already deleted the videos from their accounts. “Defendants are acutely aware of the protections that the copyright laws of the United States afford,” said lawyers for the music companies in statements that appeared across each lawsuit. “[The team] utilizes the full extent of legal protections available for its own intellectual property while simultaneously knowingly and willfully infringing on the intellectual property rights of the plaintiffs.”

Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok provide enormous libraries of licensed music for users to add to their videos. But there’s an exception: brands cannot use them for commercial or promotional videos. That kind of content requires a separate license, similar to licensing music for a standard television commercial. Based on these copyright infringement lawsuits, it seems like many teams were operating without that license. The NBA is yet to comment on them.

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Kanye West Hit With Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over “Donda” Tracks

July 18, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Kanye West has been wrapped up in his fair share of legal trouble as of late. Now, he’s been hit with yet another lawsuit. This time, he’s being accused of copyright infringement by Artist Revenue Advocates. The suit alleges that Ye used DJ Khalil and three other artists’ work without paying them or getting permission and that he partook in “blatant theft.”

According to AllHipHop, DJ Khalil worked with Sam Barsh, Dan Seeff, and Josh Mease to create a track in 2018. It was later included in a “composer pack” for interested buyers. It was used on Ye’s Donda songs “Hurricane” and “Moon,” though he allegedly didn’t have permission.

Kanye West Accused Of “Blatant Theft”

Kanye West Hit With Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over “Donda” Tracks — Ye attends the Kenzo Fall/Winter 2022/2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on January 23, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by Victor Boyko/Getty Images For Kenzo)

“The West Defendants did, at various times, seek the Artists’ permission to include the Work in ‘Hurricane.’ No permission was granted,” the lawsuit reads. “In an act of blatant brazenness, Defendants even credited the Artists as songwriters and producers on both ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Moon,’” it continues. “Of course, given that Defendants knew they did not have permission to use the Work. The fact that they credit the Artists as songwriters and producers is effectively an admission of copyright infringement.”

“West’s unlawful use of the Work follows an unfortunate pattern and practice of taking other artists’ music without their permission,” the lawsuit adds. “Other instances of willful infringement by West include unauthorized use of music from Ozzy Osbourne and Donna Summer. West’s history of deliberate use of the music of others stands in stark contrast with his position as a supposed champion of artists’ rights.” The plaintiff is seeking undisclosed damages. What do you think of Kanye West getting hit with yet another lawsuit? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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Cardi B Hit With Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over “Enough (Miami)”

July 3, 2024 by newhiphopnews

It’s been a busy few months for Cardi B, and unfortunately, she also now has a lawsuit to deal with. The hitmaker is currently gearing up to unleash her highly anticipated new album, and while a release date hasn’t been officially announced, she’s been doing plenty of teasing. To get fans ready for what’s to come, she’s also dropped a couple of singles this year, including “Enough (Miami).” The track left fans impressed, and eager to hear what else she has up her sleeve.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, however, she’s being accused of using other artists’ work on the song without permission. Joshua Fraustro and Miguel Aguilar, who also go by Sten Joddi and Kemika 1956, are suing her for allegedly stealing part of their own song “Greasy Frybread.”

Joshua Fraustro And Miguel Aguilar Accuse Cardi B Of Using Portions Of Their Song Without Permission

Their song was previously used to promote the FX series Reservation Dogs, and was released three years before Cardi’s track. Aside from her, producers OG Parker and DJ SwanQo, Atlantic Records, and Warner Music Group are named as defendants. It’s unclear whether or not the lawsuit will impact her upcoming release in any way. She has already been hard at work lately teasing yet another new track, however. She appears to be going in an R&B direction with the song, which has no official name.

Fans were also quick to dissect her recent BET Experience performance, searching for potential clues about the album. She took the stage in a sparkly jersey featuring the number eleven, for instance. Some speculated this could be a hint at the release date, title, or something else. This is unconfirmed, particularly considering the femcee’s newfound legal issues. What do you think of Cardi B getting hit with a lawsuit for alleged copyright infringement over her track “Enough (Miami)”? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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AI Companies Tied To Creation Of “BBL Drizzy” Are Being Sued By The RIAA

June 25, 2024 by newhiphopnews

The RIAA is taking a stand against the highly controversial use of AI in music. According to AllHipHop and CNN, The Recording Industry Association of America is filing two lawsuits against a pair of companies in the space for their contributions to the creation of “BBL Drizzy”. The latter quickly went viral during its use in the Drake versus Kendrick Lamar beef, mainly due to Metro Boomin. The superstar producer initiated a challenge to other rappers to give their best stuff over the instrumental. Whoever won the contest would receive $10,000 reward and a free beat. However, the original “BBL Drizzy” sample can be credited to internet comedian, King Willonius.

The latter used the AI platform, Udio, which is itself developed by Uncharted Labs. The RIAA is targeting the latter, as well as Suno. The organization feels it is entirely necessary to approach it in this way because they feel that both are performing “blatant infringement”. Neither Uncharted Labs nor Suno have commented on the impending legal action, according to CNN.

The RIAA Is Fighting Against AI & “BBL Drizzy”

In the paperwork from the RIAA, their overarching argument is this, “If developed with the permission and participation of copyright owners, generative AI tools will be able to assist humans in creating and producing new and innovative music. [But] without regard for fundamental copyright protections”, there could be “irreparable harm”, as well as a “[reduction] the quality of new music”. Furthermore, the RIAA adds, “These digital music files have been released to the public—some already finding their way onto the major streaming services—and compete with the copyrighted sound recordings that enabled their creation; yet Suno sought no permission from and gives no credit or compensation to the human artists or other rightsholders whose works fueled their creation”.

What are your thoughts on the RIAA suing two AI companies for their contributions to the “BBL Drizzy” sample? How do you see this lawsuit playing out and why? Do you think if these entities are sued, it could deter further developments? Was this “BBL Drizzy” challenge a top five moment in the Drake versus Kendrick battle? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding this lawsuit. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.

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Childish Gambino Receives Second Lawsuit As Kidd Wes Continues To Fight Over “This Is America”

April 16, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Nearly three years ago, Childish Gambino was sent a copyright infringement lawsuit from fellow rapper Kidd Wes. The latter felt that “This Is America” was “unmistakably substantially similar, if not practically identical” according to those past legal documents. However, almost two years later, on March 24, 2023, Judge Victor Marrero of a New York federal court dismissed the lawsuit. It was ultimately decided that there were not enough similarities between the Gambino’s version and Kidd Wes’ “Made In America,” which was released a year prior in comparison. Now, according to AllHipHop, Wes is still searching for justice, as he recently filed a second lawsuit against Gambino.

Pulling information from Courthouse News, they discovered that this was put in motion on Monday, April 15. To get more technical about this, Judge Marrero originally shut this down because Kidd Wes failed to copyright the underlying musical composition of “Made In America.” Because of that, Kidd Wes would have lost with proper copyright registration all together. Of course, there was massive pushback from his attorney Gregory William Keenan.

Does Kidd Wes Have An Argument Against Childish Gambino?

He saw this is as an “administrative mistake.” Keenan stated, “An applicant for a copyright registration, especially one who’s not a lawyer, might check the wrong box on the registration documents as a result of some legal oversight.” Jonathan Davis, Gambino’s lawyer argued that this [was] not a mere error.” Wes and his team are currently awaiting the results of their second attempt, so be sure to check back with us when we find out more.

What are your thoughts on Childish Gambino being sued again? Do you think this lawsuit will have a different result, why or why not? Listening to the songs back-to-back, do you spot any glaring similarities? Is this song still in your rotation? We would like to hear what you have to say, so be sure to leave your takes in the comments section. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Childish Gambino. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on around the music world.

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