A copyright infringement lawsuit against Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Sony Music, and Big Freedia has been dismissed with prejudice, less than three months after it was filed.
The plaintiffs’ counsel recently submitted a notice of voluntary dismissal, which revealed the development. The plaintiffs, a New Orleans-based organization known as Da Showstoppaz, did not explain why the complaint was abruptly withdrawn.
However, the complaint is no longer in effect for “all defendants,” including numerous individuals not mentioned above, according to the notice.
As recounted in the initial lawsuit, which we covered when it was filed in late May, the plaintiffs claimed to have met in 2001, released a single called “Release a Wiggle” for a local mixtape, and subsequently earned regional prominence with the work in 2003 and early 2004.
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Hurricane Katrina and other events led to the dissolution of Da Showstoppaz, which had neglected to register “Release a Wiggle” at the time of its formation, according to the initial claim. (The plaintiffs said the Copyright Office registrations will arrive in 2022 and 2023.)
Roughly a decade later, one of the plaintiffs chose to release “Release a Wiggle” to their personal YouTube channel, which was soon reportedly duplicated without authorization in “Explode” by New Orleans-born Big Freedia. Beyoncé, for her part, was accused of infringing on the plaintiffs’ work after sampling “Explode” in Renaissance’s “Break My Soul.”
Despite this decision, there is still plenty of fascinating, ongoing industry litigation, including a growing number of infringement challenges.
Last month, Warner Music, Cardi B, and others were accused of using components from “Greasy Frybread” without permission to make “Enough (Miami).”
In July, the Beastie Boys sued Chili’s parent company for allegedly utilizing “Sabotage” in a social media promotion without a license, while the big labels are suing Verizon for allegedly failing to appropriately address persistent infringement by internet subscribers.
And more than a dozen NBA teams are facing lawsuits from Kobalt, Dr. Luke’s Prescription Songs, and others for allegedly inserting protected works into videos without permission. Not only that, but the list of new copyright lawsuits in July includes a lawsuit filed by singer Gloria Gaynor against her former producer.
In terms of ongoing court battles, Daddy Yankee, the Black Eyed Peas, and Sony Music Entertainment filed a motion to dismiss fraud allegations in a different copyright dispute centered on “Bailar Contigo.”
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