Copyright infringement lawsuit filed against Beyonce and Jay-Z for ‘Drunk in Love’ sample

A Hungarian singer is suing Beyoncé, Jay-Z and their producer Timbaland for copyright infringement, claiming that one of her songs was sampled without permission in the hit single, "Drunk in Love."

Music industry news outlet NME reports that the singer Monika Miczura, also known by her stage name Mitsou, contends that the first 13 seconds of "Drunk in Love" sample a part of her own 1995 song, "Bajba, Bajba Pelem." In her complaint, Mitsou notes that the sample digitally alters her voice in the song with Auto-Tune, along with making other edits to hide her involvement. 

Since the surprise release of Beyoncé's self-titled album last year, "Drunk in Love" — which includes vocals from the singer's husband Jay-Z as well — has quickly caught on with both listeners and other artists alike, spawning a number of different remixes and covers, as well as winning Best Collaboration at this year's MTV Video Music Awards. 

Mitsou is seeking an undisclosed number of damages for the use of her voice and song on the Beyoncé track. She is also requesting that a judge prohibit the song from any further plays until her voice is taken off, arguing that her original song was "about hopelessness yet Beyoncé used it 'to evoke foreign eroticism alongside the sexually intense lyrics.'"

This isn't the first time the power couple has been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit, though the last case ended favorably for the duo. A lawsuit filed against Jay-Z for illegally sampling the syllable "oh" from the Eddie Bo song "Hook & Sling Part 1" on his 2009 collaboration with Rihanna, "Run This Town," was tossed out by a New York federal judge just last week.

When managing copyrights and intellectual property, it's imperative to enlist a capable business attorney that can ensure your rights and interests are fairly represented and effectively protected.

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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