Talk about a blast from the past! LMFAO has finally settled their copyright lawsuit against rapper Rick Ross.
In 2013, Rick Ross claimed that LMFAO stole his 2006 song, ‘Hustlin.’ He states that LMFAO’s popular song ‘Party Rock Anthem’ uses a modified version of a phrase he has copyrighted – “Everyday I’m Hustlin”. LMFAO’s lyrics are “Everyday I’m Shufflin”, and Rick Ross sued them for them without his permission.
In court, US District Judge Kathleen M. Williams initially asked Ross this question:
“WAS THE MUSICAL COMPOSITION ‘HUSTLIN’ VALIDLY REGISTERED WITH THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE, AND, IF SO, DO PLAINTIFFS HAVE AN OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO PREPARE DERIVATIVE WORKS FOR THE MUSICAL COMPOSITION ‘HUSTLIN’?”
Ross responded with a resounding no. Judge Williams ultimately tossed out the lawsuit, claiming that “an altered three-word phrase wasn’t protected by copyright.” Williams ruled that Rick Ross did not have a valid copyright registration as well, dismissing the case. In 2018, Ross urged the Eleventh Circuit to reevaluate Williams’s ruling, and they ruled that Ross’s copyrights were actually valid. As a result, the lawsuit was revived.
However, Judge Williams had removed Ross from the lawsuit after the first time. After that point, only copyright claims from Ross’s producers, co-writers Andrew Harr and Jermaine Jackson, could proceed to a jury trial. Ross could no longer sue LMFAO on his own basis.
Allegedly, Harr & Jackson and LMFAO reached a full settlement before a jury trial could proceed. This deal arose after a nine-hour meeting. The terms of the agreement are not yet known.
H/T: Digital Music News
