A lawsuit was dismissed by a judge Wednesday, agreeing with Nicki Minaj in court, handing her a victory against Tracy Chapman when she ruled that Minaj did not commit any form of copyright infringement when recorded and released her hit song, “Sorry”.
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Honorable Judge Virginia A. Phillips cited the legal doctrine of fair use in her ruling. “Artists usually experiment with works before seeking licenses from rights holders and rights holders typically ask to see a proposed work before approving a license,” Phillips wrote. “A ruling uprooting these common practices would limit creativity and stifle innovation within the music industry.”
Tracy Chapman sued Nicki Minaj back in 2018 for copyright infringement of Nicki’s newly unreleased song “Sorry,” which correlated acoustically to Chapman’s “Baby Can I Hold You.” Chapman’s representatives claimed her music was used without her permission. Chapman formally sued Minaj for copyright infringement, with the singer’s attorney John Gatti saying, “Nicki Minaj violated Ms. Chapman’s copyright by creating an illegal derivative work and distributing that work.”Nikki Minaj denied using her music nor any form of copyright infringement, stating ‘her interpolation was protected by the doctrine of fair use’.
Nicki Minaj’s “Sorry” became a major hit in August 2018 when D.J. Funkmaster Flex played the track for the first time. Minaj and Chapman’s legal fight continued over the years whether Nikki Minaj infringed on Chapman’s song by distributing “Sorry” over the radio.
In the lawsuit, Chapman sought damages to prevent Nicki Minaj and her team from releasing “Sorry.” According to Chapman’s suit, Nicki Minaj’s team made “multiple requests” to license “Baby Can I Hold You” and was denied.
The case isn’t fully over, however, as a judge must now decide if Nicki Minaj allegedly committed infringement by giving D.J. Funkmaster Flex the audio track. Both Nikki Minaj and D.J. Funkmaster Flex have denied leaking the tape or that it was her who gave him the tape.
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Sources: https://www.okayplayer.com/culture/nicki-minaj-wins-tracy-chapman-lawsuit.html
https://pitchfork.com/news/nicki-minaj-handed-a-victory-in-tracy-chapman-legal-battleandnbsp/
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