In a significant legal move, the estate of the legendary Donna Summer has initiated a copyright infringement lawsuit against Kanye West, now known as Ye, and Ty Dolla $ign. The lawsuit, filed in a California federal court, accuses the artists of unauthorized use of Summer’s iconic 1977 track “I Feel Love” in their collaborative song “Good (Don’t Die)” from the album Vultures 1.
Bruce Sudano, Summer’s widower, leads the charge in this legal battle, aiming to protect the integrity of Summer’s musical legacy against unauthorized interpolations. The lawsuit details that despite explicit denial from the estate for the use of “I Feel Love,” West and Ty Dolla $ign proceeded to include recognizable elements of the song in their work, a move described by the estate as a flagrant act of theft motivated by the artists’ desire to bypass the estate’s refusal due to West’s controversial history.
The estate’s legal team has put forth a claim for $150,000 per act of infringement, emphasizing that the lawsuit transcends the issue of unpaid licensing fees. It represents a broader battle for artists’ rights to control the representation of their work and to safeguard it against unauthorized and uncredited use.
The controversy comes in the wake of Vultures 1’s release, which has been mired in delays and disputes over sample clearances. This lawsuit marks another chapter in the ongoing conversation about artists’ rights and the protection of intellectual property in the music industry.
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