Dismiss $20m Lawsuit Accusing Me of Ripping off Dead Artist – Beyonce Tells Court
Beyonce reportedly has finally responded to the lawsuit filed against her for ripping off a dead artist for the music video of her hit song, ‘Formation’.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the singer was slammed with a lawsuit by the family of New Orleans-area YouTube star Anthony Barré who was murdered in 2010. His family said Beyonce stole the artist’s signature phrase, “I like that” from his Youtube video and also used his voice, adding that Barré’s voice is protected under the First Amendment for its “artistic relevance.”
The suit asked for royalties and damages, and demanded that Barré be given proper credit.
However, Beyonce has responded by filing a motion to have the case thrown out. Hollywood Reporter says the singer’s legal team are arguing that her use of the clips were considered “fair use” because they were “less than 10 seconds”, adding that the family “grossly overstated” how much of the clips were being used.
“In reality, the snippets from the YouTube Videos were used only in the Music Video and, to a lesser extent, during the Live Performances,” the motion says. “As a result, all defendants without an alleged involvement in the Music Video or Live Performances should be dismissed regardless of the merits of Plaintiffs’ claims.”
This is not the first lawsuit that has been filed against Beyonce following the release of her recent album.
In July, she filed a counter lawsuit against an artiste who accused her of ripping off his work for her ‘Lemonade’ visual album.
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