This is The Legal Beat, a weekly music law newsletter from Billboard Pro, bringing you a one-stop cheat sheet of big new cases, landmark decisions and all the fun stuff in between.
This week: A judge clears French Montana of copyright infringement, but sympathizes with his accuser. TI and his wife face the latest sexual assault allegations to rock the music industry. Cher is battling her son over a possible conservative position. and many more.
THE BIG STORY: French Montana's 'Technical' Copyright Win
Imitation may be the “sincerest form of flattery,” but it's not always copyright infringement. That was the takeaway from an unusual federal court ruling last week in which a judge dismissed a copyright lawsuit against French Montana — but almost seemed to regret having to do so?
The case against French (Karim Kharbouch) was filed by a little-known Chicago artist named Hotwire The Producer (Eddie Lee Richardson), who claimed that the star rapper's 2013 hit “Ain't Worried About Nothin” contained a sample of the preceding without permission. song “Hood Pushin' Weight.”
In a ruling Thursday, Judge Nancy L. Maldonado ruled that French's song did not technically infringe the rights secured by Richardson — it only copyrighted a sound recording, not the underlying musical composition. But he also expressed “great sympathy” for Richardson, lamenting that he had failed to fully secure his copyright and saying the outcome of the case “could have been very different” if he had.
“If it's any consolation, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the Court hopes that Richardson will not be discouraged in his musical endeavors, now armed with a better understanding of copyright law,” Judge Maldonado wrote. “As it stands, however, Richardson's evidence in this case is insufficient to establish copyright infringement.”
For more on what the judge had to say in her opinion – including advice to the French not to celebrate too much about a “technical win” – read our full story.
Other top stories this week…
SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE TI – The rapper and his wife Tiny have filed a lawsuit alleging they drugged and sexually assaulted a woman they met at a Los Angeles nightclub in 2005. In the complaint, attorneys for Jane Doe's anonymous accuser said TI (Clifford Harris) and Tiny (Tameka Harris) gave her a spiked drink after introducing them to the VIP section of a club, then brought her back to their hotel room where they “forced her to strip” and assaulted her. In a statement to Advertising signthe couple “emphatically and categorically” denied the allegations and vowed to fight a lawsuit they said the plaintiff had been threatening to file for years.
JIMMIE ALLEN LAWYER SHAKEUP – More than six months after Jimmy Allen was hit with two sexual assault charges, news broke that the country star was parting ways with the legal team that represented him (from Tennessee law firm Baker Donelson) in the cases. The move to switch lawyers quickly drew objections from his accusers, who say it hinders the trial's progress by “moving lawyers around”.
SIR FIGHTS SON FOR CUSTODY – A Los Angeles judge refused to immediately place Cher's son (Elijah Blue Allman) as legal conservator – a deal she is seeking over his opposition – but said she will revisit the issue later this month. Cher filed for conservatorship late last year, claiming Elijah's struggles with addiction and mental health left him unable to manage his money and potentially putting his life in danger by making him buy drugs.
TUPAC KILLER RISE FIGHT – A hearing is set for Tuesday on whether Duane “Keffe D” Davis, the former Los Angeles-area gang leader accused of orchestrating the killing of hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur, should be released. with guarantee. The trial was originally scheduled for last week, but was delayed after prosecutors made new arguments about why Davis poses a threat to the public if released.
MAREN MORRIS DIVORCE DIRECTED – Maren Morris has reached an agreement to settle her divorce proceedings against singer/songwriter Ryan Hurd, her husband of five years. Under the terms of the settlement, Morris, 33, will pay Heard, 37, $2,100 a month in child support as the two share time equally with their three-and-a-half-year-old son, Hayes Andrew. Most of the rest of the settlement was set out in a prenuptial agreement, which the couple signed in 2018 and updated in 2022.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/pro/ti-tiny-sexual-assault-case-french-montana-copyright-ruling-music-law-news/
