Tag: sampling lawsuit

It’s been a six-year legal battle, but French Montana has officially won a copyright lawsuit brought against him by producer Eddie Lee Richardson. Richardson, who goes by the name Hotwire The Producer, accused the rapper of illegally sampling his instrumental track “Hood Pushin’ Weight” for French’s 2013 hit song “Ain’t Worried About Nothin’.”

A Close Call: The Ruling Explained

While French Montana comes out on top, the ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on October 17 wasn’t exactly a landslide. Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi acknowledged the striking similarity between the two instrumentals, stating, “We agree with Richardson that HPW’s beat, to the naked ear, seems indistinguishable from the beat in AWAN.” However, she added that “opinions and allegations unsupported by facts are not enough.”

So, if the beats sounded so similar, why did Richardson lose? The key issue was a technicality with his copyright registration. Instead of registering the musical composition, Richardson filed for the sound recording. Under U.S. copyright law, this means infringement only occurs if the sound recording itself is directly copied, not merely imitated.

The Legal Hurdles and Outcome

Judge Jackson-Akiwumi pointed out that Richardson failed to provide sufficient evidence, either direct or indirect, to prove that French Montana had duplicated “Hood Pushin’ Weight” when producing “Ain’t Worried About Nothin’.” Without this proof, the claim couldn’t stand, despite the perceived sonic similarities. It seems imitation, in this legal context, wasn’t enough to constitute infringement.

While Richardson leaves the courtroom disappointed, French Montana can celebrate this victory. This legal win comes on the heels of positive personal news for the rapper, who recently got engaged to Sheikha Mahra, the Princess of Dubai. Details about their upcoming wedding are still unknown.

If it is any consolation, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. — Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi