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Ludacris, Kanye West Win Copyright Trial

Friday, June 2, 2006
By: Kenny Rodriguez


LudacrisTop-selling rappers Ludacris and Kanye West won a copyright infringement trial yesterday when a jury concluded their 2003 hit "Stand Up" did not copy a song by a little-known New Jersey rap group.

It’s Our Family (IOF), a relatively unknown rap quartet, claimed Ludacris and West lifted snippets from their 2001 demo “Straight Like That,” which they said was received by Ludacris’ camp years earlier.

"I hope the plaintiffs enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame," Ludacris said after the verdict was announced. "This whole experience is proof to me of why I will always fight for what I believe in."

Ten jurors returned the verdict after less than a day of deliberations in the two-week trial in Manhattan’s US District Court.

Ludacris said he never doubted the jury would agree that “Stand Up” sounded nothing like "Straight Like That.” "The only thoughts and ideas I borrow from are those of my own," Ludacris said.

Mel Sachs, the plaintiff’s lawyer, said the verdict was “disappointing but understandable,” since IOF could not present their music expert – who did not appear in court due to a pre-trial lawyer dismissal. "We were at a severe disadvantage," he said, adding that they plan to appeal the verdict.

Ludacris, however, said he saw one of the plaintiffs fall asleep during the trial and was thinking he was not going to let someone like that "ruin my reputation." "I feel no sympathy," he said, "not at all."

West, however, was more sympathetic with the New Jersey group when he testified last week. "It's like that glimmer of hope,” he said. “You're this close. I've been in those shoes. It's hard to make it in this game. I understand why they would sue."



(10) Comments | Post a comment »



I knew they were gonna win they just wasted luda and kanye's time wit that. They tried to get rich quick and it didn't work.
Posted by streetz90
Well now, copy right infringement. Hummmm...i don't know if and nor does the jury if kanye and luda bit from that other song. But, damn, ain't kanye's name always in some sh*t? hummmmm
Posted by DrFrankensence
Them dudes iof are clowns how you fall asleep at the biggest trial of your life and cant get a backup expert witness in such an important case what a bunch of morons that case should have been run like a business cause the come up would have been sweet ftuck those rich rappers they prolly woudnt have to pay for it out of there own pockets anyway...but these dudes are bigger jokes get the paper by being focused falling asleep during the trial...*smh* idiots
Posted by smifnwessun
They were just some dumbass little kids tryin to break into the music industry quick and easy...but that sh*t backfired asap..lol
Posted by spazzmatik101
Of corse my boo luda wasint gone lose i mean how tha hell u fall asleep during ur own hairing those dumbies
Posted by ludasgurl
Justice haz been served, congrats to luda & kanye !!!
Posted by nsanelown
Yeah this whole thing was a waste of time ios were just looking for some fame besides you cant copy right a small fraze like dat maybe if they took the whole chorus or something but luda and kanye obviously dont need to do that its all a bounch of bull
Posted by chedda32
Yeah i know its fu$#@ up, but i think those guys could have some validity to their story, if they gave kenye and luda the music, i mean both of them might not have stolen their music directly but as a producer myself, we tend to flip sh$#@! that we hear so kenye and luda could have done that too. All it take is a melody to give someone a concept...........as far as falling asleep...that was stupid
Posted by unknown
It is a fact that ludacris has stolen at least one song. A rapper from st. Louis came to him with a demo tape and ludacris listened to it. He said he wasn't feelin' it much and that the world just wasn't ready for his music. Then all of a sudden ludacris ended up with a song called "hardtimes," which was exactly the name of a song on the demo tape; it had many of the same lyrics and the exact beat and everything. But, the problem with it is that the song wasn't copyrighted. So luda got away with it.
Posted by JS
I was one of the jurors at the trial (juror#6) i remember that trial there was this one lady in the jury pool that was really holding back for those kids but the truth was clear as day they could'nt remember the day they recorded their track, there was no proof how many copy was distributed, those jersey kids came half ass to that trial no records of any kind lying on the stand i mean lucky it was not a murder trial those kids would've got hung......
Posted by henrypatron121@yahoo.com

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