copyright

Cam’ron Facing Copyright Lawsuit Over Picture In Pink Fit

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Cam’ron is facing a copyright lawsuit from a photographer that, back in 2003, took an iconic picture of his iconic pink fit. Moreover, the photographer claims that Killa Cam used the picture in various pieces of Dipset merchandise without giving her permission. Furthermore, Djamilla Cochran filed a complaint in New Jersey federal court on Tuesday (April 11), per Billboard‘s report. If you don’t recognize the picture off the description of a pink fur coat, hat, and phone, you’ll likely know it when you see it. Cochran claimed that he also posted her photography on social media to promote his merchandise.

According to the lawsuit, Cam’ron used the photo without authorization on various pieces of his merch line Dipset Couture. These include T-shirts, jewelry, a pair of shower curtains, pillows, and swimsuits. “Getty Images notified defendants of their infringing activities by mail and email on multiple occasions,” the photographer’s lawyers’ complaint stated. “Despite those notifications, defendants continued to sell merchandise and continued to display the photograph on website and accounts.” Apparently, the 47-year-old had plenty of time to respond to the claim before the complaint officially came forward.

Cam’ron Sued For Using His Iconic Pink Fit Pic Without Permission

Despite this legal roadblock, Cam’ron has a couple of other business ventures that are netting him more headlines than his merchandise. For example, there’s his successful sports talk show It Is What It Is, which had made him a pretty vocal and disseminated figure in topics such as NBA discourse. In fact, he recently addressed people trying to buy him out of his successful enterprise, although he did express gratitude for their interest and support.

“A lot of n***as hollering at me trying to buy my show and make my show a part of what they’re doing,” he stated via Instagram. “And listen, I appreciate the love. I appreciate the interest and everything else. This is fully funded by me. I ain’t gonna get no help, I ain’t got no partners. I ain’t got no bank that came and did all this s**t.” Despite his extracurricular endeavors, it will be interesting to see if he takes that conciliatory attitude to the court. Regardless, check back in with HNHH for the latest news and updates on Cam’ron.

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Can You Copyright an AI-Generated Image? The U.S. Copyright Office Says No

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copyright infringement

By revoking copyright registration it had previously granted for a comic book whose artwork was created by an AI-powered image generator, the U.S. Copyright Office has effectively ruled that AI-generated images are not eligible for copyright protection in the U.S. 

Kris Kashtanova is a New York-based artist who created the graphic novel Zarya of the Dawn.  Kashtonova wrote the story, created the layout and organized the presentation of the images.  The images were generated by Midjourney, a commercial image synthesis service that uses the latent diffusion process.

Latent diffusion models are used to generate detailed images from text descriptions, by mapping an image generator to text descriptions.  Effectively, the user can input a text description of the image they want created, and the latent diffusion model will generate detailed image based on those parameters.

Kashtanova registered the copyright in Zarya of the Dawn with the Copyright Office in 2022, claiming that the artwork was not created entirely by the AI, but had been created by her with AI assistance.  The Copyright Office has previously rejected copyrights registered to AI as the author – however, it has not ruled against copyrights in AI artwork where the author is a person.    Here, Kashtanova was granted copyright registration for Zarya of the Dawn in September 2022.

However, this past Tuesday, the Copyright Office revoked the registration, on the basis that Kashtanova had not disclosed in her application that the images in the comic were created by an AI model.  Apparently, following issuance of the registration, the Copyright Office learned on social media that her comic included AI-generated images.   The Copyright Officer then issued a notice to her in October 2022, requiring her to provide additional information showing why the registration should not be canceled.

Through her attorney, Kashtanova responded that Midjourney was merely an assistive tool, and she had authored every aspect of the work.  The Copyright Office rejected this argument, finding that although she claimed to have “guided” the content of each image, it was Midjourney that had “authored’ the images for purposes of copyright registration.  Accordingly, the portion of her registration covering the images was canceled.

Kashtanova still holds a copyright registration for the other elements of the comic- namely, the text and the selection and coordination of the visual elements.  However, for now, this ruling means that AI-generated images cannot be copyrighted in the United States, and this ruling will likely stand unless it is challenged in court or revised by law.

The post Can You Copyright an AI-Generated Image? The U.S. Copyright Office Says No appeared first on The Source.

Yung Gravy Sued By Rick Astley Over “Never Gonna Give You Up”

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Rick Astley is suing Yung Gravy for sampling his voice on “Never Gonna Give You Up” on “Betty (Get Money).” While the song brought Astley’s hit to a new generation, it seems they didn’t work out the rights issues. Of course, it’s not like Astley’s original hit was unheard of, as people still troll each other online with it.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 18: Yung Gravy performs onstage as Pizza Hut and Airrack break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for World’s Largest Pizza to launch the Big New Yorker on January 18, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Pizza Hut)

According to a TMZ report, the English artist filed suit on Thursday (January 26). Moreover, he claimed that Gravy wrongfully featured and an impersonation of his performance on 1987’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Also, the lawsuit involves Yung Gravy, his producers (including Dillon Francis), and the impersonator Nick Seely, also known as Popnick.

Furthermore, Astley stated that these collaborators “conspired to include a deliberate and nearly indistinguishable imitation of Mr. Astley’s voice throughout the song.” In addition, he said that he never gave any of them permission to impersonate his voice. However, this lawsuit carried more curious repercussions. Astley also said that Gravy ruined any chance of him collaborating with other artists in the future. Sad to say it, but looks like Rick Astley isn’t hopping on a remix anytime soon.

However, the “C’est La Vie” artist did license the instrumental to “Never Gonna Give You Up,” just not the vocal performance. While this saved him from larger problems, it seems he knew of what he was getting into. Moreover, the lawsuit references several occasions where Gravy acknowledged the complicated legal situation he was getting into with the song. For example, in an interview with Billboard, he said he “basically remade” Rick’s voice, “because it makes it easier legally.”

If you live under a rock (or off the Internet), “Never Gonna Give You Up” is Rick Astley’s biggest hit. It also reached No. 1 on the charts, and is most well-known today as an Internet joke that you can read more about here. Meanwhile, “Betty (Get Money)” marked Yung Gravy’s most successful song so far. Overall, it’s a clash of the titans, and Astley is suing for millions of dollars.

Still, what do you think of Rick Astley suing Yung Gravy for copyright infringement regarding their two biggest songs? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for the latest in music law, copyright, and cheeky samples.

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Roddy Ricch Hit With Lawsuit Over “The Box”: Report

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Roddy Ricch is facing a lawsuit for his 2019 hit “The Box.” His label, Atlantic Records, and producer 30 Roc are also named in the legal documents. Per TMZ, singer Greg Perry filed the suit. In it, he claimed that the Compton native used “key elements” from his 1975 song “Come On Down (Get Your Head Out Of The Clouds)” without asking his permission.

Perry is reportedly seeking damages in the lawsuit, saying that an expert “clearly and convincingly” found similarities between the songs. He’s also hoping the court will see that they purposely committed copyright infringement.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 06: Roddy Ricch performs onstage during Roddy Ricch Headlines SECRET SESH X SAC NFT Event on May 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Ricch recently celebrated the third anniversary of the song yesterday (Dec. 6). Shortly following the song’s release in 2019, both the single and the 24-year-old’s debut album, Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial, quickly climbed the music charts.

“The Box” went on to take the number one spot on the Hot 100 Billboard chart. It also took off on TikTok and other social media, with users adding the song to various videos.

READ MORE: Roddy Ricch’s “Live Life Fast” Receives Incredibly Mixed Reactions From Listeners

Ricch later enjoyed a rise to stardom following the viral hit, going on to release a string of notable singles and collaborations. In December 2021, he shared his second studio album Live Life Fast featuring 21 Savage, Kodak Black, and Future.

The “Stop Breathing” rapper and his team have not responded publicly to Perry’s copyright lawsuit.

Check out both songs above and below, and let us know in the comment section if you hear any similarities. Check back in with HNHH for any new updates on the suit.

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