copyright Archives - Page 2 of 4

Emimen Gets Response From “Real Housewives” Stars Over Copyright Deposition Request

December 30, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Eminem’s had his fair share of legal battles over the years, but his latest might be one of his most bizarre yet. Moreover, he sought to block a trademark application from Real Housewives guests Gizelle Bryant and Robyn Dixon for their podcast Reasonably Shady, as it conflicts with his Slim Shady alter ego. However, it seems like Marshall Mathers wants only his legal team to handle this, as when the Real Housewives of Potomac stars filed to deposition him, he motioned for a protective order against it. This is because he apparently has little information about this legal process and its context, to which Bryant and Dixon responded to via their lawyer, Andrea Evans.

“It seems obvious to us that if you file a lawsuit, you should be made available to be deposed,” she told PEOPLE of Eminem’s legal filing. “[We would like to question Mathers at least about his use of the expressions Slim Shady and Shady. It’s unclear to us that Mathers can be the owner of the trademarks and file this suit against our clients but he will not make himself available to be deposed.“

Eminem Performing At Super Bowl LVI

Eminem Real Housewives Podcast Shady Lawsuit Deposition Hip Hop News — INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: Eminem performs in the Pepsi Halftime Show during the NFL Super Bowl LVI football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

“Opposer’s Motion to Compel the deposition of Mathers is also premature and unwarranted,” Eminem’s lawyer expressed. “Despite Opposer’s expression that the deposition would be both duplicative and unduly burdensome given Mathers’ limited knowledge of the subjects at issue, his absence of unique knowledge of the subjects at issue and others’ superior knowledge of said issues, Applicants have made no attempt to obtain the discovery they seek via more convenient and less burdensome means.

“Opposer has offered to produce three other individuals having equal and superior knowledge to Mathers on the relevant topics,” he went on. “However, without making any attempt to assess whether they will be able to obtain the relevant information from said individuals, and having taken no depositions to date, Applicants remain insistent on deposing Mathers, a high-level and removed decision maker. Accordingly, Applicants’ Motion to Compel should be denied. Opposer asks this Board to issue a protective order precluding the deposition of Marshall Mathers III.” For more news and the latest updates on Eminem, come back to HNHH.

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Cam’ron Loses Lawsuit Over Using Picture Of Himself On Merch, Must Pay Five Figures

December 11, 2023 by newhiphopnews

In the legal sense, Cam’ron has his sights on The Joe Budden Podcast for insinuating he had relations with underage girls. However, it seems like before he actually decides whether he wants to move forward, he has to deal with another issue in court. Moreover, the rapper faces a default judgement in a pretty curious and confusing lawsuit, which means that he’ll now have to pay up. For those unaware, this legal action came from photographer Djamilla Cochran in April of this year. She was the one who took the iconic 2003 picture of him in a pink fur coat, hat, and with a matching pink flip phone.

Earlier in 2023, she sued Cam’ron for using this picture on his clothing brand’s merch without getting the proper copyright and licensing. Allegedly, he and Dipset Couture ignored multiple infringement warnings, and never responded to the lawsuit outright. Now, Cochran seeks $57,000 as part of her awarded default judgement, plus $10,000 in legal fees. Not only that but she wants to audit Killa Cam’s brand for all the merch with this picture that he’s sold so she can access these profits.

Cam’ron At An After Party In New York City

Camron Lawsuit Photo Himself Merch Photographer Default Judgement Hip Hop News — NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 16: Cam’ron attends “For Khadija” Tribeca Festival After Party at Lavo on June 16, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)

Elsewhere, he is also quite busy with his It Is What It Is sports talk show with Mase, which has been nothing short of a massive success. Whether it’s their antics as cohosts, how the show’s affected their bonds with other athletes, or their often blunt analysis, there’s a lot to find entertainment in with this series. Hopefully Cam’ron and Mase continue to build out their platform and give us more great content along the way. Sometimes that will lead to people speaking on you– and to you wanting to sue them– but such is the media game.

Meanwhile, the Dipset MC is still dropping hot freestyles, one of which even got LeBron James’ stamp of staunch approval recently. It’s just another piece of proof that you can never count an MC out, no matter what their career morphs into. We’ll see if he has anything to say about this lawsuit’s end. For more news and the latest updates on Cam’ron, stay up to date on HNHH.

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Lil Durk Faces $12 Million Lawsuit Over Alleged Song Rights Fraud

December 7, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Chicago rapper Lil Durk finds himself entangled in a legal battle with Exceed Talent Capital. The startup claims the artist committed “fraud” by granting song rights to two different companies. The lawsuit alleges that Lil Durk’s actions resulted in over $12 million in damages for the firm. The lawsuit contends that Lil Durk entered into an agreement with Alamo Records long before his association with Exceed. Implying that the assertions and guarantees made in the contract with Exceed were deliberately false when they were initially presented by the defendants.

Furthermore, Exceed says that it paid Lil Durk for the exclusive rights to transform his track “Bedtime” into a fractional investment opportunity. However, the startup claimed to be blindsided when it discovered that the rapper had an exclusive deal with Alamo Records. The lawsuit contends that despite contractual assurances from Durk regarding his rights to the recording, it was revealed that he had already assigned those exact rights to a third party. The fintech startup found out of the discrepancy when Alamo Records issued a cease-and-desist letter to Exceed Talent Capital in May. The label informed them that Durk was under an exclusive recording agreement. Emphasizing that he had no authority to sell his recording royalties to any other entity.

Lil Durk Being Sued

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 25: Rapper Lil Durk performs during Morehouse & Spelman College Homecoming 2023 at Morehouse College on October 25, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)

Faced with this legal hurdle, Exceed demanded that Lil Durk find the situation or refund the $450,000 already paid. However, according to the lawsuit, the rapper allegedly ignored these pleas. The fallout from this legal affair proved costly for Exceed Talent Capital. The lawsuit claims that the startup had to cancel the sale after already investing “significant time, effort, and financial resources.” They also had to go through the trouble of securing approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission. The damages are estimated to exceed a staggering $12 million, leaving Exceed in a precarious position.

Ironically, Lil Durk has enjoyed success on the charts. Reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100 earlier this year with “All My Life.” However, his alleged behind-the-scenes maneuvers have sparked legal turmoil. Moreover, the alleged fraudulent actions surrounding the song rights of “Bedtime” have jeopardized Exceed Talent Capital’s financial standing. But, it also raised questions about the transparency and contractual obligations within the music business. The fallout from this lawsuit could have lasting implications for both the artist and the broader landscape of artist-fintech relationships.

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NLE Choppa Puts Mike Jones On Blast For Copyrighting Previously-Cleared Song

October 29, 2023 by newhiphopnews

NLE Choppa recently took to social media, calling out Mikes Jones for allegedly copyrighting a song that had already been cleared. Choppa dropped his “CMON FREESTYLE” last week, spitting over Jones’ early-2000s track, “Still Tippin.” It seems, based on a recent Tweet from Choppa, that Jones copyrighted the track just recently.

“Ion know if it’s Mike jones or his team but on everything y’all dead wrong for trying to copyright a song I got cleared,” the 20-year-old wrote. “That’s some hating sh*t especially for a young n***a like me that’s just tryna please his fans. Ion feel that I lost d*mb respect but it’s cool fasho !” At the time of writing, Jones has yet to respond.

NLE Choppa Thinks Mike Jones Is On “Some Hating Sh*t”

Ion know if it’s Mike jones or his team but on everything y’all dead wrong for trying to copyright a song I got cleared that’s some hating shit especially for a young nigga like me that’s just tryna please his fans. Ion feel that I lost dumb respect but it’s cool fasho !

— NLE Choppa (@Nlechoppa1) October 29, 2023

While many social media users appear to be on board with what NLE Choppa’s saying, some point out that Jones himself may not be responsible. Others note how this isn’t the first time Jones has taken issue with other artists sampling his music. Earlier this year, BiC Fizzle put the rapper on blast for getting his song “44s” removed from YouTube. Similarly, Fizzle’s song samples “Still Tippin.”

“Mike Jones you a h*e for making my n***a’s shit get deleted, n***a, with your broke a**,” BiC Fizzle said during a live stream. “The real kickback drop 4’s old broke b*tch,” he added. Jones eventually clapped back, telling Fizzle “You gotta learn the business.” He continued, suggesting that the artist failed to properly clear the sample. “Once you become an owner of something and people will want to sample your stuff, it’s a proper procedure of business that has to go down. Once that business goes down, you get the access gate to keep going,” he explained. What do you think of Mike Jones allegedly copyrighting a song that NLE Choppa had previously cleared? Do you think NLE Choppa’s reaction was warranted, or is he overreacting? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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Juice WRLD’s Estate And Dr. Luke Sued For “Not Enough” Royalties

October 18, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The estate of late rapper Juice WRLD and Dr. Luke are being sued for allegedly failing to credit and properly pay one of the co-writers of the 2021 Fighting Demons track, “Not Enough.” PD Beats, born Pierre Orpheus DeJournette, claims in the suit that he hasn’t received his fair share of revenue from the song. He believes that due to his alleged contributions, he should “equally own the copyrights.”

According to DeJournette, he contributed by “writing the beats and programming the 808s.” The suit also claims that the song features his “original guitar, performance, and production.” He argues that without his contribution, the song would be “missing key elements that form the basis of the subject song’s audience appeal.” Allegedly, he was listed as a co-writer in certain cases. The suit, however, fails to disclose where. He’s pushing for the court to formally declare him a co-writer of the song, and to grant him the payment he believes he’s due.

Alleged Co-Writer Seeking Credit, Revenue

Juice WRLD's Estate And Dr. Luke Sued For "Not Enough" Royalties — Juice Wrld attends the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on August 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for MTV)

“Defendants have released, marketed, distributed, and monetized the subject song without accrediting or providing PD Beats his proportional share of the revenue,” the suit reads. “Defendants have failed to meaningfully respond, necessitating this action.” At the time of writing, reps for Dr. Luke and Juice WRLD’s estate have yet to comment.

This isn’t the only legal battle Dr. Luke’s been wrapped up in as of late, however. Back in June, the record producer also reached a settlement with Kesha. They had been battling it out in court for years over allegations that he sexually assaulted her in 2005. “Only God knows what happened that night. As I have always said, I cannot recount everything that happened,” Kesha wrote following the settlement. Dr. Luke has maintained his innocence since the pop star originally sued him in 2014. What do you think of the lawsuit against Juice WRLD’s estate and Dr. Luke? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

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Drake Accused Of Getting Bobbi Althoff’s Interview Taken Down By New Fan Theory

September 6, 2023 by newhiphopnews

A fan theory going around on TikTok has put forth the idea that Drake got his recent interview with Bobbi Althoff taken down. A user on the platform explained in a lengthy video that they think the reason he played an extended clip of Tyga’s “Rack City” during the interview was so it could be copyright struck afterward.

“Drake paid her travel to come to his location,” the TikToker, whose username is @PhotogSteve81, began. “Negotiated where his team would produce, film and control mostly everything about the podcast. He then goes on to play Tyga’s ‘Rack City.’ He specifically leaves it playing and airs a very long clip in the episode which now appears to have been his leverage he planted in the beginning.”

Drake Performs Live

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 03: Drake performs on day 1 of the New Look. Wireless Festival at Finsbury Park on July 3, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)

He further explained: “Drake’s team reached out to Universal Music Group which owns the rights to ‘Rack City’ and filed a copyright strike against Bobbi’s podcast. They filed it under the terms that YouTube has with Universal Music. This meant that all of the proceeds from the podcast would have to be turned over to Universal Music or Bobbi would be facing a very large lawsuit… Bobbi’s team, realizing they would not be able to monetize their biggest podcast in history, decided to pull the podcast.” Check out the full explanation of the theory below.

Fans Theorize Drake’s “Mastermind” Plan

Drake using Tyga’s “Rack City” as way to get the Bobbi Althoff interview taken down is some evil mastermind stuff. pic.twitter.com/2nhllsmild

— AJ Hughes (@_ajhughes) September 5, 2023

Despite being extremely popular, Althoff seemed to pull the full interview shortly after uploading it. Later, the two unfollowed each other on Instagram and theories about their fallout began to spread online. While the aforementioned theory posits that “Rack City” was the center of the drama, Althoff sat down with Tyga for their own interview afterward. Other theories have suggested that Drake and Althoff hooked up, but she shot the idea down on Instagram.

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Judge Throws Out A Copyright Lawsuit Made Against Future

August 28, 2023 by newhiphopnews

One of the unfortunate pitfalls that pervades modern music is pesky copyright law. Since the notorious “Blurred Lines” lawsuit made on behalf of Marvin Gaye set an alarming legal precedent, almost every major artist has either faced copyright suits or taken extreme caution to avoid them. One of those artists who was recently subjected to a lawsuit over copyright law is Future. A man named Daquan Robinson reportedly sued Future over his song WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT. The track comes from his collaborative album with Zaytoven BEASTMODE 2 from 2018. The lawsuit claims that the track lifted elements from Robinson’s own song When U Think About It.

Now, according to TMZ, the judge has thrown out the case in a reference-packed decision. Judge Martha Pacold explained her reasoning for throwing out the lawsuit, claiming that none of the similarities between songs constituted actual copyright infringement. Robinson listed guns, money, and jewelry as thematic elements of his song that were lifted by Future. But the judge referenced a trio of hip-hop classics from Wu-Tang, Biggie, and Kanye as examples that those pop up in plenty of other rap songs too. She claimed that no person can claim copyright to those particular themes.

Future Copyright Lawsuit Tossed

Future has stayed busy this year even if he hasn’t released much material of his own. He teamed up with Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Baby for a new DJ Khaled single called “Supposed To Be Loved.” The track is set to serve as the lead single for Khaled’s upcoming new album TIL NEXT TIME later this year.

Future also might have some new music on the way alongside Lil Yachty and Southside. The producer previewed some new music with both rappers earlier this month. None of the material has received an expected release date yet though. What do you think of the judge’s decision in Future’s copyright infringement case? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Cardi B Says Offset Will Sue Troll Who Accused Him Of Cheating

August 22, 2023 by newhiphopnews

People have gone too far in their attempt to troll Cardi B and Offset’s relationship and it seems like a lawsuit will be filed soon. It’s no secret that the superstar couple have faced their fair share of hardships in their relationship. Allegations of infidelity have circulated over the years. Still, Offset and Cardi B have undoubtedly worked towards maintaining a healthy relationship. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that they’re immune to the rumors. Over the weekend, a Twitter account claimed they had evidence of Offset cheating on Cardi B.

The account, which seems to be a Nicki Minaj fan page, tweeted out an audio clip that was intended to sound like ‘Set trying to hook up with a woman that isn’t Cardi B. Then, there was an image of the rapper allegedly in the midst of hooking up with this woman. Cardi later debunked the theory entirely, claiming that the voice note sounded like a poor AI job and the man in the picture didn’t have the same build or hairstyle as Offset.

Offset Plans On Taking Legal Action

If you missed it https://t.co/Lxh1wm701l pic.twitter.com/87Uk9YG3js

— BackdoorBardi (@Backdoor_Bardi) August 22, 2023

At this point, Cardi B and Offset appear to be willing to make an example out of people who are trying to play with their relationship. “So you guys are going to receive a letter from his lawyer,” she stated. “Because all these little games that you guys want to play online, it’s going to be over with… You’re going to be getting sued, and we’re going to make an example out of you. Yeah, and, that was a terrible AI voice, by the way, so yeah, bye.”

The voice note was later deleted but it seems like Cardi B and Offset already had their lawyers on the job. The user later doubled down on their accusations against Offset while a copyright claim was filed against the clip. “Cardi just copyrighted my tweet,” the User wrote. Btch you mad at me when you need to be mad at the n**a that’s CHEATING ON YOU!!.” Check out Cardi’s voice note above.

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Soulja Boy’s Album Removed From Streaming For Copyright Complaint

August 21, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Navigating copyright in the streaming era has been difficult for many artists and many content creators who cover music. There has also been a long-turbulent relationship between rappers and the producers who help create their songs. All of that came together for Soulja Boy recently when one of his albums was taken off streaming. “My album “Soulja Season” was taken off DSPs because of a copyright claim from a producer I purchased the beat from 100% this is the third time this happened,” he explained in a Tweet earlier today.

While he doesn’t specify which song was claimed or who the producer is, it’s clearly tainted his approach to working with them. “First “Biggest Opp” then “BigDraco3”This may be my last time working with producers. They messing it for all producers!” Soulja Boy explains. As of today. much of the album is still available to stream. Only the closing track “2 Seater,” which features G$ Lil Ronnie is unavailable. Fans won’t have much difficulty finding new Soulja Boy music to listen to though, the rapper has already released three new album this year. Alongside Soulja Season he’s also dropped Swag 5 and Soulja World 3.

Soulja Boy Talks Producer Copyright Claims

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A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akademiks)

Like many this year, Soulja Boy took the time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of rap music. But through his own lens, he wanted more credit for the influence he’s had over the genre since his debut. “When I came in the game they said I killed hip hop. But really, I birthed the new wave of hip hop with internet/streaming. Ahead of my time,” he explained in a tweet.

All of this is unfolding as the rapper deals with some pretty intense legal battles. He reportedly owes over $1 million in unpaid taxes and a judge recently told him he needed to change where he lived. What do you think of Soulja Boy’s predicament with producers having his music taken down? Let us know in the comment section below.

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French Montana Sued For Copyright, Songwriter Claims He Didn’t Clear Sample

August 18, 2023 by newhiphopnews

French Montana now has to answer for an old track of his, as a singer-songwriter hit him with a copyright lawsuit. Moreover, Skylar Gudasz claimed that her 2020 track “Femme Fatal” prominently contributes to the rapper’s 2022 cut “Blue Chills.” In fact, Gudasz expressed in her legal action that he and his team could’ve avoided the whole situation if things went according to plan. Apparently French’s team offered her upfront fees and continuous revenue for the sample, which consisted of a 50% share of copyright for publishing. However, Gudasz alleged that the song dropped anyway, despite this deal never coming to a close.

“Despite repeated promises from [French Montana’s team]… no signed agreement, fees, royalties, licensing agreements or monies have ever been sent to plaintiff,” her lawyers stated in the filing. In addition, it explained the circumstances behind their almost-finalized collaboration. Furthermore, industry executive Deborah Mannis-Gardner, known for her sample clearances, approached Gudasz in May of 2022. Specifically, they negotiated the aforementioned agreement to include over $7,000 in upfront fees and a .08% cut from master royalties.

French Montana Performing At The Tribeca Film Festival

French Montana Copyright Lawsuit Hip Hop News — NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 16: French Montana performs during the “For Khadija” Premiere – 2023 Tribeca Festival at Beacon Theatre on June 16, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)

Also, it had a half share of the composition copyright, along with half of the publishing rights. When Gudasz reached out about the release of “Blue Chills” with no final deal, Mannis-Gardner allegedly wrote “Oh jeez” in her response email. “DMG continued to maintain there would be a final agreement, sent emails finalizing the licensing agreement and requested invoices from plaintiff, which plaintiff timely sent … and even sent plaintiff a congratulatory email,” the lawsuit continued. Not only that, but French Montana seemingly congratulated Gudasz via Instagram comments and spoke about her role on the track on Apple Music’s Rap Life Radio.

Meanwhile, amid his massive success, Gudasz wants this remedied as soon as possible. “The unauthorized and infringing use by defendants of the song ‘Femme Fatale’ has caused irreparable harm, damage and injury,” her lawyers maintained. “Plaintiff has been deprived of the rightful experience of benefitting and enjoying the fruits of her labor.” For more news and the latest updates on French Montana, come back to HNHH.

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