Things have escalated between DJ Vlad and rapper Joyner Lucas. Vlad, the owner of VladTV, has officially filed a federal lawsuit against Lucas, accusing him of copyright infringement. This legal move comes after Lucas allegedly reposted a clip from a VladTV interview without proper authorization or credit.
The Copyright Infringement Claim
According to reports, DJ Vlad (real name Vlad Lyubovny) claims that Joyner Lucas posted a five-minute segment from VladTV’s interview series to his X (formerly Twitter) account on July 6. The lawsuit alleges that Lucas intentionally cropped out the VladTV watermark and failed to give any credit to the platform. The clip in question featured comedian Aries Spears making critical remarks about British rappers.
The lawsuit states that Lucas shared the video with his 1.5 million followers, where it quickly went viral, garnering over 4.4 million views, thousands of reposts, and tens of thousands of likes before it was eventually removed following a DMCA takedown request. Vlad is seeking significant damages, including up to $150,000 in statutory damages, legal fees, and a permanent injunction to prevent Lucas from using VladTV content in the future.
Failed Negotiation Attempts
Interestingly, the lawsuit reveals that Vlad initially attempted to resolve the issue outside of court. He reportedly offered to drop all legal claims in exchange for an interview with Joyner Lucas on VladTV. However, these negotiations reportedly fell apart dramatically.
The complaint details an alleged ‘expletive-filled text message’ sent from Joyner’s phone to Vlad’s legal representatives by Lucas’s manager, Dhruv Joshi. The message reportedly stated, ‘Dear vlad…. Suck my d**k. Call your attorney and do whatever you have to do… I wasn’t ever doing an interview with you before in this lifetime and your def not a getting an interview now.’ This aggressive response effectively ended any chance of a private settlement.
Legal Ramifications and Vlad’s Stance
Vlad’s legal team argues that Lucas knowingly shared the copyrighted material to increase engagement on his platform and promote his own music and merchandise. They also claim Lucas encouraged his followers to repost the video, leading to unauthorized distribution. Hot In Here, Inc., the parent company of VladTV, is now pursuing damages and a court order to prevent any further use of its intellectual property.
What are your thoughts on this lawsuit between DJ Vlad and Joyner Lucas? Do you think the rapper should have sought permission before sharing the clip? Share your opinions in the comments below!